"History of Champagne The history of Champagne has seen the wine evolve from being a pale, pinkish still wine to the sparkling wine now associated with the region. The Romans were the first to plant vineyards in this area of northeast France, with the region being cultivated by at least the 5th century, possibly earlier. When Hugh Capet was crowned King of France in 987 at the cathedral of Reims, located in the heart of the region, he started a tradition that brought successive monarchs to the region—with the local wine being on prominent display at the coronation banquets. The"
"since the pomace is a by-product of wine production. Champagne (wine region) The Champagne wine region (archaic ) is a wine region within the historical province of Champagne in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name. EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the term ""Champagne"" exclusively for wines that come from this region located about 100 miles (160 km) east of Paris. The viticultural boundaries of Champagne are legally defined and split into five wine producing districts within the historical province: Aube,"
"Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne () is a former administrative region of France, located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium. Mostly corresponding to the historic province of Champagne, the region is known for its sparkling white wine of the same name. The administrative region was formed in 1956, consisting of the four departments Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. On 1 January 2016, it merged with the neighboring regions of Alsace and Lorraine to form the new region Grand Est, thereby ceasing to exist as an independent entity. Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the Seine, the Marne, and the"
"Champagne (province) Champagne () is a historical province in the northeast of France, now best known as the Champagne wine region for the sparkling white wine that bears its name. It was founded in 1065 near the city of and was made up of different counties descended from the early medieval kingdom of Austrasia. Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 160 km (100 miles) east of Paris. The cities of , , and are the commercial centers of the area. In 1956, most of Champagne became part of the French administrative region of ,"
"to show how the drink is produced and stored. Avenue de Champagne L'Avenue de Champagne (The Champagne Avenue) is a famous street located in Épernay, the 'Capital of champagne', in the Grand Est Région of France. Its name derives from the presence of many leading champagne producers such as Moët et Chandon, Mercier and De Castellane. Residents say that this avenue is the most expensive in the world, more so than the Champs-Élysées in Paris, because of the millions of bottles of champagne stored in the kilometres of chalk cellars beneath it. It has become a tourist attraction for Épernay"
"Avenue de Champagne L'Avenue de Champagne (The Champagne Avenue) is a famous street located in Épernay, the 'Capital of champagne', in the Grand Est Région of France. Its name derives from the presence of many leading champagne producers such as Moët et Chandon, Mercier and De Castellane. Residents say that this avenue is the most expensive in the world, more so than the Champs-Élysées in Paris, because of the millions of bottles of champagne stored in the kilometres of chalk cellars beneath it. It has become a tourist attraction for Épernay and the Région; the biggest champagne producers organise visits"
"Aligoté, and other grape varieties will also be found occasionally. Gustave Henri Laly, a renowned wine producer from Burgundy, supplied the French General Assembly with his Montrachet produced at Mont Dardon around the turn of the 20th century. Champagne, situated in eastern France, close to Belgium and Luxembourg, is the coldest of France's major wine regions and home to its major sparkling wine. Champagne wines can be both white and rosé. A small amount of still wine is produced in Champagne using (as AOC Coteaux Champenois) of which some can be red wine. Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean"
"in the region including Verzenay and Chigy les Roses. The first bottles were for sale exclusively at Harrods in November 2015. The Champagne Cattier team who produce Armand de Brignac is led by Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Cattier, 12th and 13th generation champagne growers. A team of 18 people touch a bottle of Armand de Brignac from pressing the fruit to when the bottles leave the cellars in France. The Armand de Brignac champagnes are made in the village of Rilly-la-Montagne, in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne. Fruit is sourced from the 30+ hectares owned by the Cattier family"
"Petite Champagne Petite Champagne is a geographic zone of Cognac production of approximately 66,000 hectares, of which about 15,000 are dedicated to wines destined for cognac. It is situated in the départements of Charente and Charente-Maritime. The principal towns of the region are Barbezieux (Charente), Archiac and Jonzac (Charente-Maritime). In order of importance among the cognac ""crus"" (regions), Petite Champagne is second in place after Grande Champagne. While having similar characteristics, the cognacs of Petite Champagne have always been considered of a lesser quality than those of Grande Champagne. Geologically, this region is composed of a thinner layer of Calcareous"
"material than Grande Champagne. A blend of Grande and Petite Champagne Cognacs, with at least half the eaux-de-vie coming from Grande Champagne, is known as Fine Champagne. Petite Champagne Petite Champagne is a geographic zone of Cognac production of approximately 66,000 hectares, of which about 15,000 are dedicated to wines destined for cognac. It is situated in the départements of Charente and Charente-Maritime. The principal towns of the region are Barbezieux (Charente), Archiac and Jonzac (Charente-Maritime). In order of importance among the cognac ""crus"" (regions), Petite Champagne is second in place after Grande Champagne. While having similar characteristics, the cognacs"
"Grande Champagne Grande Champagne is a French district, called a ""cru"", known for its cognac. It produces the finest cognacs in a zone of 34703 hectares, of which 17% is dedicated to production of cognac. At its heart is the town of Segonzac, in the Département of Charente. Grande Champagne is situated entirely in this département. Cru is a French word for Growth Region. There are six different sub-regions (Cru) within Cognac. Each is graded by the French government according to the quality of the cognac produced there. The six Cru are from best to least, (1) Grande Champagne (2)"
"Champagne Champagne (, ) is sparkling wine or, in the EU countries, legally only that sparkling wine which comes from the Champagne region of France. Where EU law applies, this alcoholic drink is produced from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France following rules that demand, among other things, secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to create carbonation, specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from specific parcels in the Champagne appellation and specific pressing regimes unique to the region. Many people use the term ""Champagne"" as a generic term for sparkling wine but in some countries,"
"of fermentation in the bottle, but sometimes use different grape varieties, are known as ""Cremants"" and are governed under their own ""Appellation d'origine contrôlée"" (AOC) regulations. Another style of sparkling wine found in France are those made according to the ""methode ancestrale"" which skips the process of disgorgement and produces wines with slight sweetness and still containing the particles of dead yeast matter in the form of lees in the bottle. The regions of Gaillac, Limoux and Clairette de Die are the most well-known producers of ""methode ancestrale"" wines. Champagne is produced at the far extreme of viticultural circumstances, where"
"Petite Champagne (3) Borderies (4) Fins Bois (5) Bons Bois and (6) Bois Ordinaires. Grande champagne is the first (and, according to many connoisseurs, the favored) cru. A blend of Grande and Petite Champagne Cognacs, with at least half the eaux-de-vie coming from Grande Champagne, is known as Fine Champagne. Grande Champagne Grande Champagne is a French district, called a ""cru"", known for its cognac. It produces the finest cognacs in a zone of 34703 hectares, of which 17% is dedicated to production of cognac. At its heart is the town of Segonzac, in the Département of Charente. Grande Champagne"
"Avize Avize is a commune in the Marne department in northeastern France. The village's vineyards are located in the Côte des Blancs subregion of Champagne, and are classified as Grand Cru (100%) in the Champagne vineyard classification. Located in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, Avize is a village wine with many Champagne houses. About 400 winegrowers harvest 3,350 tons of grapes annually. Its fermentation within the 12 km of the city cellars gave birth to the most prestigious wines of Champagne: ""Blanc de blancs"". A treasure with flavors of orange and grapefruit that attracted the most beautiful houses"
"prestige that Champagne has developed worldwide, and the high cost of the production process, among possible others. A list of major Champagne producers and their respective Cuvée de prestige Champagne Champagne (, ) is sparkling wine or, in the EU countries, legally only that sparkling wine which comes from the Champagne region of France. Where EU law applies, this alcoholic drink is produced from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France following rules that demand, among other things, secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to create carbonation, specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from specific parcels"
"know today as Champagne was first produced in the French region of the same name around 1700. For centuries prior to this, still wine from the region had been served as part of coronation festivities throughout Europe, and the French aristocracy had offered it in tribute to foreign kings, associations with celebration and occasion which survive to the present day. When the ""méthode champenoise"" was introduced into the region, its ready association with luxury and power brought the unique sparkling wine from Champagne to the fore. The leading practitioners devoted considerable energy to creating a history and identity for their"
"Armagnac (brandy) Armagnac (; ) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally using column stills rather than the pot stills used in the production of cognac. The resulting spirit is then aged in oak barrels before release. Production is overseen by the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) and the Bureau National Interprofessionel de l'Armagnac (BNIA). Armagnac was one of the first areas in France to begin"
"This early development of ""Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée"" regulation benefitted the Marne and Aisne districts to the significant exclusion of the Aube district which included the town of Troyes—the historic capital of the Champagne region. In the Champagne region, the production of Champagne is largely in the hands of producers who purchase grapes from independent growers. While some growers today produce wines under their own labels (known collectively as ""grower Champagne""), in the early 20th century the immense amount of capital needed to produce Champagne was beyond the reach of most growers. Champagne houses were able to bear the large risk"
"higher profit of producing sparkling wine. Coteaux Champenois AOC Coteaux Champenois is a wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the Champagne province of France. It covers the same area as sparkling Champagne production, but covers only still wines. The grapes are the same as those allowed for sparkling Champagne: Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier for red wines, and Chardonnay for whites. Rosé wines are made very rarely, but there is also a rosé AOC in the Champagne region, Rosé des Riceys. Like sparkling Champagne, most wines are non-vintage. Production is small, especially in vintages where yields are low, given the"
"Coteaux Champenois AOC Coteaux Champenois is a wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the Champagne province of France. It covers the same area as sparkling Champagne production, but covers only still wines. The grapes are the same as those allowed for sparkling Champagne: Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier for red wines, and Chardonnay for whites. Rosé wines are made very rarely, but there is also a rosé AOC in the Champagne region, Rosé des Riceys. Like sparkling Champagne, most wines are non-vintage. Production is small, especially in vintages where yields are low, given the high demand for Champagne and the"
"only district in the Champagne region predominately planted with Chardonnay. In the four other main districts-Aube, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne-Chardonnay lags behind Pinot noir in planting. In the outlying region of Aisne, only Pinot Meunier has a significant presence. Despite being less planted, the ""Blanc de Blancs"" style of Champagne (made from only Chardonnay grapes) is far more commonly produced than ""Blanc de Noirs"". This is partly because Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier produce very coarse and heavy wines that lack the finesse and balance that Chardonnay brings to the mix. Nonsparkling still"
"Angeac-Champagne Angeac-Champagne is a French commune in the Charente department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ""Angeacais"" or ""Angeacaises"" Angeac-Champagne is a commune located in the west of the department of Charente, near Charente-Maritime, in Grande Champagne, the premier cru of cognac. The commune is located 10 km south of Cognac, 6 km west of Segonzac, and 3 km east of Salles-d'Angles. Angoulême, the prefecture of Charente, is 35 km to the east. Angeac is also 9 km north of Archiac, 12 km south-west of Jarnac, and 19 km north-west of"
"that other wine regions battle, since not much flavor is going to develop in the grapes, anyway. Rather, the element in Chardonnay that Champagne wine-makers look for is the finesse and balance of acidity that it brings to the blend. Some flavors that can emerge from, particularly with extended time on its lees, include creamy and nuttiness with some floral notes. Champagne, Chablis, and Burgundy account for more than three-fifths of all Chardonnay plantings in France. The next-largest concentration is found in the Languedoc, where it was first planted around the town of Limoux and up to 30% can be"
"large cognac producers in nearby Cognac. Sainte-Lheurine Sainte-Lheurine is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France. The village centre with its church from the 12th century is situated on a small hill that overlooks the vineyards, patches of forest, and the wheat, maize and sunflower fields that characterize the local landscape. A number of scattered small hamlets and single farmsteads in the plains below belong to the commune. Sainte-Lheurine lies in the ""Petite Champagne"", and the cultivation of grapes for the production of Cognac and Pineau is the predominant local economic activity, with much"
"Traditional method The traditional method is the process used in the Champagne region of France to produce Champagne. It is also the method used in various French regions to produce sparkling wines (not called “Champagne”), in Spain to produce Cava, in Portugal to produce Espumante and in Italy to produce Franciacorta. The method is known as the ""méthode champenoise,"" but the Champagne producers have successfully lobbied the European Union to restrict the use of that term within the EU only to wines produced in Champagne. Thus, wines from elsewhere cannot use the term """"méthode champenoise"""" on products sold in the"
"in Avize: Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Champagne Roederer. Major champagne houses were founded in Avize as De Cazanove (1811), Koch (1820), or Bricout (1966). Avize Avize is a commune in the Marne department in northeastern France. The village's vineyards are located in the Côte des Blancs subregion of Champagne, and are classified as Grand Cru (100%) in the Champagne vineyard classification. Located in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, Avize is a village wine with many Champagne houses. About 400 winegrowers harvest 3,350 tons of grapes annually. Its fermentation within the 12 km of the city cellars"
"Table from the Arthurian legends. A few counts of Champagne were French kings with the comital title merging with the French crown in 1314 when Louis I, king of Navarre and count of Champagne, became king of France as Louis X. Counts of Champagne were highly considered by the French aristocracy. Champagne (province) Champagne () is a historical province in the northeast of France, now best known as the Champagne wine region for the sparkling white wine that bears its name. It was founded in 1065 near the city of and was made up of different counties descended from the"
"Mâconnais The Mâconnais district is located in the south of the Burgundy wine region in France, west of the Saône river. It takes its name from the town of Mâcon. It is best known as a source of good value white wines made from the Chardonnay grape; the wines from Pouilly-Fuissé are particularly sought-after. Almost all the wine made in the Mâconnais is white wine. Chardonnay is the main grape grown in the district—in fact, there is a village of that name in the far north of the region. Some plantations of Gamay and Pinot noir are made into red"
"variety, the Ugni Blanc is less susceptible to late frosts. It is also found in Armagnac, the Languedoc, Corsica, Italy and Bulgaria. Out of the 75,000 hectares in the Cognac appellation area, Grande Champagne has 13,800 hectares and Petite Champagne has 16,200 hectares. During the 1960s, l’Alliance Fine Champagne (The Fine Champagne Alliance) was started by André Hériard Dubreuil of Rémy Martin. This cooperative brings together a thousand wine growers from Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne. Cognac houses that produce and sell Fine Champagne are: Fine Champagne Fine Champagne is a cognac blend of eau-de-vie from the Grande Champagne and"
"Marne Marne () is a department in northeastern France named after the river Marne (""Matrona"" in Roman times) which flows through the department. The prefecture (capital) of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne (formerly known as Châlons-sur-Marne). The subprefectures are Épernay, Reims, and Vitry-le-François. The Champagne vineyards producing the world-famous sparkling wine are located within Marne. Marne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from the province of Champagne. Marne has a long association with the French Army. The training ground of the ""Camp Militaire de Mailly"" straddles the border with"
"from a year or more of bottle ageing. In 2009, a 184-year-old bottle of Perrier-Jouët was opened and tasted, still drinkable, with notes of ""truffles and caramel"", according to the experts. Traditional method The traditional method is the process used in the Champagne region of France to produce Champagne. It is also the method used in various French regions to produce sparkling wines (not called “Champagne”), in Spain to produce Cava, in Portugal to produce Espumante and in Italy to produce Franciacorta. The method is known as the ""méthode champenoise,"" but the Champagne producers have successfully lobbied the European Union"
"Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine ""Appellation d'origine contrôlée"" (AOC) located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France. It is one of the most renowned appellations of the southern part in the Rhône Valley. Vineyards are located around Châteauneuf-du-Pape and in the neighboring villages Bédarrides, Courthézon and Sorgues between Avignon and Orange and cover slightly more than 3,200 hectares or . Over 110,000 hectolitres of wine a year are produced here. More wine is made in this one area of southern Rhône than in the entirety of the northern Rhône region. Châteauneuf-du-Pape literally"