The Champagne production zone (AOC vineyard area) is defined and delimited by a law passed in 1927, encompassing roughly 85,000 acres of vineyards. There are four main growing areas in the Champagne: the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs, the Valley de la Marne and the Côte des Bar. Together they encompass nearly 280,000 plots of vine.  17 villages have a traditional entitlement to Grand Cru ranking and 42 to Premier Cru ranking.

Champagne has a history of vine-growing that dates back to the dawn of Christianity, and its vineyard boundaries have been defined by France’s appellation system (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée or AOC) since 1927.

With its northern location, rugged climate, distinctive soil type and hillside vineyards, the Champagne terroir is the only one of its kind – as original as the wine it produces. Champagne had two major distinguishing features: northerly latitude and a dual climate that is subject to oceanic and continental influences alike.

The Marne Valley

The most attractive part of the Marne river, which is 326 miles long, is without a doubt the point at which it flows through the Champagne vineyards. The town of Château-Thierry (home of ]ean de la Fontaine who has inspired a museum and an annual festival) is surrounded by welcoming villages: Crouttes, Charly, Nogent-l’Artaud, Romeny-sur-Marne (visited by countless impressionist painters), Condé-en-Brie (castle of the princes of Condé), Mézy-Moulins (fine church) and many more.

Information by: Champagne.fr 

Champagne is challenging to the senses, particularly to the sense of taste. The moment the wine enters the mouth is the high point of the tasting, especially for an experienced and attentive taster who will be looking for such qualities as intensity, sharpness, richness, perfection – sometimes even impertinence. How you define the wine very much depends on your ability to detect its subtle harmonies and tastes. Can your tastebuds distinguish between a touch of citrus and a hint of ripe pear? Would you say that the palate was round or long, lively or complex? What about the mouthfeel? Is it ripe with red berries, musky, toasty or brioche-like? Is it delicate or ultra-refined? Look to your palate for the answers to these questions.

“The palate should be surprisingly but pleasantly sparkling, instantly seductive and velvety. The taste should have an underlying fruitiness, with a lingering fragrance that causes you to meditate silently and at length on the wine’s aromatic qualities – long after you put down your glass”. Louis Bohre, an early 20th century Champagne ‘explorer’.

The bubbles feel like crystalline pearls on the palate, exploding with citrus flavors that stand out against a rich, smooth background of ripe fruit and exotic wood interlaced with the fragrance of white flowers. Think of the bubbles as the musicians in a symphony orchestra. They rise to a crescendo then diminish by degrees to close on a note of peace and harmony. 

The Marne Valley (west of Châtillon-sur-Marne) and the hills around Reims (Massif de Saint-Thierry, Ardre Valley and Montagne Ouest) lie on soils containing more marls, sand or clay.