Champagne

The Champagne AOC is the main appellation of the Champagne region, located 150 kilometers east of Paris at the northernmost border of France’s wine country. Its vineyards grow on the best limestone soils of the region, protected from the northern winds on hills with excellent sun exposure. In this little microclimate, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay thrive. The borders for this AOC were originally established in 1927, and today 30,500 hectares are in production.

The appellations villages, called crus, are located in four separate areas established by their distinct geological characteristics: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs and Côte des Bar. Each of the 320 villages is given a rating from 80-100% depending on the quality of the grapes it produces. Grape maturation, exposure, soil and subsoil are some of the aspects used to determine the ratings.