A.O.C. Champagne

In France, the concept of AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlée, meaning Controlled Designation of Origin) goes well beyond the idea of a mere geographical indication. Besides referring to a particular origin, the concept also includes the notion of terroir in the deepest sense of the term. That is to say, the sum of pedalogical, edaphological, climatic, historical, technical and human factors which give a distinctive identity to a specific product.

In order to preserve the reputation of the world’s most famous sparkling wine, the wines authorized to wear the AOC Champagne seal must satisfy a strict list of criteria. They must come from a specific production area, and must be produced only from the grape varieties authorized by the Appellation. These are the traditional triad of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, as well as the lesser known Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Arbane or Arbanne (native to the Aube region, in north-east France) and Petit Meslier, another northern variety.

There are four authorized systems of pruning and canopy management in AOC Champage: Royat, Chablis, Guyot and Vallé-de-la-Marne. Plantation density is of 8,000 vines per hectare, and yields cannot exceed 102 litres of wine must per 160 kg of grapes. As prescribed by the Champenoise method, all wines must go through secondary fermentation inside the bottle. After that, the NV Champagnes must be aged on lees for 15 months minimum, and the Vintage Champagnes must be kept in the cellar for a minimum of 3 years.

Thanks to this high quality standards, the sparkling wines from AOC Champagne are still going strong after centuries of history.

Red wine varieties:

Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier.

White wine varieties:

Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Abane o Arbanne, Petit Meslier.