Champagne

The wine-growing region of Champagne gave its legally protected name to the most famous sparkling wine in the world. The heart of the production area is Reims, with its cathedral, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, in which practically all French rulers were crowned, while the otwns of Epernay and Chalons-sur-Marne are also important. Champagne ist he most northerly wine-growing region in France, it is located in the Paris basin, around 140 kilometres to the east of Paris. The „Région délimitée de la Champagne viticole“ was first defined in 1908¸ some changes were made in 1911 and the borders finally fixed in 1927. It is divided into five zones with different leading grape varieties. The zones are Montagne de Reims (sand and clay on chalk formations), Vallée de la Marne (sandy clay and clay), Côte des Blancs (sand and clay on chalk formations), Côte de Sézanne (marl, sand and clay on chalk) as well as, in the south, Côte du Bar in the Département Aube (gravel and decomposed limestone soils). The vineyard area totals 34.000 hectares, of which 99% are planted with the key champagne varieties Pinot Noir (38%), Pinot Meunier (33%) and Chardonnay (28%). Historically, the four varieties Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are also permitted for use in the production of champagne, but with a total of only 90 hectares they do not play any significant commercial role. There are 19.000 grape growers in more than 300 communes, most of the grapes are delivered to the major champagne houses, which own only 10% of the vineyard area. The classification system, called Échelle des crus, is similar to that in Burgundy. 17 communes are classfied as Grand Cru, 38 are classified as Premier Cru. The vineyard area of these communes totals around 9.000 hectares. However, this rating is seldom shown on the label, as generally wines from different sites and communes are blended.

The secret and the great success of the incomparable product called champagne can be found primarily in the soil, the climate and naturally also in the legally defined production method. All of the soils are chalky, sometimes with a sandy surface layer, and are called craie à bélemnites. The conditions for the production of sparkling wine are ideal, as the grape varieties grown here produce an elegant, tart base wine low in alcohol. The chalk and limestone casues the vines to grow deep roots, and also helps to store water. In addition, the chalky formations provide ideal underground cellars, there is a whole network of these underneath the city of Reims. These cellars provide a year-round temperature of 10 to 11 °C and a humidity of 70 to 90%, wwhich is very important for the storage and maturation of champagne, which takes place over many years. Annual production is around 300 million bottles. Other appellations in the Champagne area are Coteaux Champenois for still (non-sparkling) wines and Rosé des Riceys fort he famous rosé wine. Both champagne and the still wines produced here may leave the Champagne region only in bottles – not in tanks, barrels or any other containers. This means that base wines produced in the Champagne region cannot be processed anywhere else.