Situated 145 kilometers (90 miles) east of Paris is Champagne, a region spanning 35,208 hectares across chalk and limestone soils. Champagne produces over 300 million bottles of sparkling wine each year and brings in 20% of France’s wine revenue, though it accounts for only 4% of all French vineyard land. From the Massif de Saint-Thierry in the north to the upstart Aube in the south, there are over 36,000 landowners within the AOC, with 56% owning less than one hectare.
By numbers, prestige, and popularity, this is one of the world’s most important winemaking regions. This guide will dive into the grapes, places, and styles that make Champagne so special.
Champagne is the most northerly major wine region in France. It is located approximately 300 kilometers (185 miles) southeast of the United Kingdom. This position determines Champagne’s climate, the most important factor of terroir when distinguishing Champagne from the rest of the sparkling wine world. Nowhere else can Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier grapes be grown on such a vast scale and achieve ripeness at a low ABV and a high level of acidity.
The low alcohol and high acid of Champagne’s base wines result in a lean structure ideal for bottle fermentation. Because of the fresh, crisp, undeveloped flavors of these wines, Champagne can seamlessly soak up the slowly evolving, yeast-complexed aromas of autolysis. Of all the factors contributing to Champagne’s terroir, climate and location are by far the most important. The height and slope of Champagne’s vineyards, and even its famous chalk soil, are secondary, as important as they may be in defining differences in relative quality.
Throughout history, Champagne’s boundaries have at times extended
A clarifying question. I thought a blanc de blancs could be made of any mix of all white grapes, just as a blanc de noirs can be made of any mix of "black grapes." However, the guide notes Blanc de Blancs "is produced entirely from Chardonnay grapes." Is it true it MUST be all Chardonnay, not just white grapes?
Hey Christian! This is a great question. The AOP states that blanc de blanc is from white grapes and nothing more. What is interesting is that legally you are allowed Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris, but producers who classically make wines with these grapes do not label them as Blanc de Blancs, but instead varietally or with the blend on the label. I have adjusted the verbiage of the guide to reflect the openness of the style.