You soon forget about it because the name speaks for itself so well. Along with its success, champagne has become a brand in its own right, but it is important to remember that it is first and foremost a wine. It belongs to the family of sparkling wines, as opposed to still wines.
On July 4, 2015, the “Vineyards, Wineries and Cellars of Champagne” were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This highest distinction is a recognition not only of a cultural landscape, but also of the work of a sector that has succeeded in producing, distributing and protecting a unique product.
The area that may be called AOC has been defined by a law from 1927 and covers 34,000 hectares. Champagne is a victim of its success and often subject to identity theft. You can only call a wine champagne if it was produced, harvested and prepared in the demarcated area of Champagne in France!
Champagne is divided into four major regions. Farthest north, montagne de Reims, where the pinot noir grape gives strength and generosity. The Pinot meunier grape in Vallé de la Marne, the Marne valley, gives fruitiness to champagne rosé. South of Epernay lies the Côte des Blancs with its limestone soil and it is the promised land of the chardonnay grape. Further south is the Côte des Bar and its continental climate which produces a light pinot noir.
But within these broad lines is a whole mosaic of micro-areas. Each vineyard gives its own identity to the wine.
A blanc de blancs is a champagne made only from green grapes with chardonnay grapes. So far, everything is ready!
A blanc de noir is made from only blue grapes (pinot noir and/or pinot meunier). Two grape varieties with colored skin but white inside.
The Méthode champenoise (or traditional method) is a carefully defined winemaking method for making champagne. Over the centuries, Champagne winegrowers have learned to “tame their bubbles” to ensure the diversity and excellence of their wines. As early as the 18th century, the “Grande Dame of Champagne”, Madame Clicquot, dared to defy the rules and improve this technique.
