An overview of the sparkling wines of Northern Italy

Over the last few months I have been engaged in a project to map all of the DOC(G) sparkling wines of Italy. To date I have published posts on the sparkling wines of 12 of the 20 Italian regions. I have decided to pause at this time and take a look back at the grouping of wines that fall into the regions comprising Northern Italy.

The map below captures all of the DOC(G) wine zones in Northern Italy. Sparkling wine zones in Northern Italy range from one in Valle d'Aosta to 25 in Veneto. Most of the zones are DOC with a total of 14 DOCG zones. Piemonte and Veneto have the greatest number of DOCG sparkling wine zones with six and five, respectively.

The spreadsheet below shows the grape varieties used in sparkling wines segmented by region. A total of 99 varieties are employed in sparkling wine production in Northern Italy, ranging from a low of one in Valle d'Aosta to 49 in Emilia Romagna. The average is 12.375 varieties per region.



International varieties are the most broadly distributed across the regions with Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Grigio each being used in six of the eight regions and Merlot in five. This fact highlights the fact that producers largely utilize regional indigenous varieties in making sparkling wines in their individual regions.

Following is a brief summary of the sparkling wines of each of the Northern Italian regions.

Piemonte Sparkling Wines
While the region is best known for its Nebbiolo grapes, and the resulting Barolo and Barbaresco wines, the below map shows that many of the appellations provide frameworks for the production of sparkling wine.

In most of the cases, the dominant DOC variety serves as the source material. If the producer does desire to do so, he/she could also utilize the much more forgiving Piemonte DOC for sparkling wine production. The map shows the designation under which sparkling wine is produced in each region and specifies the mix of allowed varieties and their relative proportions. The map also illustrates which wines are made via the Charmat Method and which use the traditional Champagne Method.

Asti DOCG is by far the largest sparkling wine appellation in Piemonte with 9700 ha under vine in 52 municipalities stretching across the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo. Most Asti production is via the Charmat method but, as the map shows, there is a designation for Asti Metodo Classico. The Moscato Bianco grape is used as the raw material for the Asti wine.

Alta Langa -- DOC in 2002, DOCG in 2011 -- is the new kid on the sparkling-wine block but the combination of its terroir, traditional Champagne varieties, traditional production method, skilled growers, and savvy producers bode well for the future. The Alta Langa DOCG is spread over 142 communes in the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo. Given the geographic scope of the region, one encounters a variety of climates, exposures, elevations and soil types. In general, the soil is a mildly fertile calcareous clay marl.

Vineyards are required to be planted at 250 m and above on the region's steep, terraced hillsides. Allowed varieties are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and other non-aromatic grapes. Planting density is a minimum of 4000 vines/ha with the vines trained using the low espalier system and pruned traditional Guyot and spurred cordon. The maximum allowed yield is 11,000 kg/ha.

The Alta Langa producers -- 27 currently -- do not grow enough fruit to meet their needs but that gap is bridged with fruit from 80 growers who own their land and are guaranteed producer-payment for their grapes and labor.

Trentino-Alto Adige Sparkling Wines
The map below shows the sparkling wine regions of Trentino-Alto Adige.

Alto Adige DOC
I have written about the broader Alto Adige DOC elsewhere.

According to suedtirolersekt.it, "As a result of its overall climatic conditions, the abundance of microclimates, and the composition of the soils between the Alpine mountain landscape and Mediterranean valley soils, Alto Adige is virtually ideal for the production of sparkling wines." The key characteristics (as identified by the source) are as follows:

• Locations from 500 to 1000 m
• Abundant sun during the day
• Cool temperatures during the night
• Warm soils rich in minerals
• Base wine varieties (Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay) with an affinity for the characteristic soils.

Trento DOC
Trento DOC is the specific appellation for sparkling wine produced in the Trento portion of Trento-Alto Adige. As is the case in Alto Adige, the wine is made using the Metodo Classico.

According to Kerin O'Keefe, the sparkling wines of this region show "pronounced aromatics, elegance, and bright acidity." Two producers that she recommends are Ferrari (2010 Perlé Nero Extra Brut Riserva) and Rotari (2011 Flavio Brut Riserva).

Approximately 7,500,000 bottles of sparkling wine are produced in this region annually.

Delle Venezie DOC
This region specializes in the production of Pinot Grigio in an area spanning the totality of Friuli-Venezia Guilia, Veneto, and the Trento province of the autonomous Trento-Alto Adige region. The raisons d'etre of this expansive region are (i) proximity and (ii) pedi-climatic affinity. The wide plain between the Adriatic Sea and the Po River has been "developed over centuries by deposition of both calcareous and coarse material and gravel and sand" and also has good drainage capability.

The proximity to the Alps results in a cool and windy climate which contributes to high acid retention in the grapes, a characteristic of the wines. Water is limited but is sufficient for a regular ripening of the grapes.

The sparkling wines must be tank-fermented and must contain no more than 32 g/L of residual sugar.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Sparkling Wines
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the most north-eastern of the Italian wine regions, is bounded by Austria to the north, the Gulf of Trieste to the South, Slovenia to the east, and the wine region of Veneto to the west. The region's location, as well as its history, has endowed it with a richness of diverse cultural influences.

Prosecco DOC

The Prosecco DOC was first awarded in 1969 and was restricted to wines produced in the Conegliano-Valdiobbadene region.  Growers felt that the brand was under attack by "imitators" using just the grape variety and moved to isolate those competitors by changing both the rules and the venue of the game.  Prosecco growers agitated for, and gained regulatory acceptance of: (i) extension of the Prosecco DOC to cover all of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and approximately two-thirds of Veneto; (ii) promotion of the original Prosecco DOC to DOCG status; (iii) changing the name of the source grape from Prosecco to Glera; and (iv) restricting the use of the name Prosecco only to Glera sparkling wines produced within the delimited zones.  The growers felt that these actions would serve to protect their territory, the brand, and the quality of Prosecco.  The regulations authorizing these actions came into law in 2009.

Prosecco is primarily made from the Glera (formerly Prosecco; also known as Prosecco Bianco and Proseko Sciprina) grape variety, a native of northeast Italy which has been used to produce wines since Roman times.  This late-ripening, thick-skinned variety has greenish-yellow berries which evolve to a yellow-gold color as the grapes ripen.  The grapes are high in acid and have a white peach aromatic profile, qualities which render them eminently suitable for the production of sparkling wines.

In addition to Glera, Prosecco wines can contain as much as 15% of other grape varieties.  The most oft-used supplements are Verdiso, Branchetta, Perera, Glera Lunga, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay.

Prosecco DOC wines are authorized for production in Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and Veneto (provinces of Treviso, Belluna, Padova, Venezia, and Vicenzia).  Within the broader Prosecco DOC, there are two sub-zones: DOC Treviso Prosecco and Prosecco di Trieste. These sub-zones cover Prosecco made within these two provinces and wines made therein can so indicate on their labels.  Prosecco wines made in other provinces cannot carry the province name on the labels.

Valle d'Aosta Sparkling Wine
Valle d'Aosta (Vallée d"Aoste in French), is a semi-autonomous region in northwest Italy which is bounded to the north, west, and south by the Alps and shares borders with both France and Switzerland.

DOC sparkling wine production is only allowed in the Morgex and La Salle subzone and, as such, is made from 100% Prié Blanc. Hundreds of tiny old vineyard plot -- a total of 70 ha -- dot the two communes and provide fruit to the five growers and the Coop.

Two of the most notable sparkling wine producers in the region are Caves Mont Blanc and Ermes Pavese. Caves Mont Blanc is a Coop that controls 18 ha through its 80 grower-owners. It is the foremost producer of Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle. It produces a Brut and Extra Brut with the difference being a 15-month bottle aging for the former and 17 months of the latter. Ermes Pavese produces between 700 and 1200 bottles of its zero dosage sparkler only in riper years. According to Madrose, this sparkling wine is "as unusual as it is delicious, ... at once rich and quite dry, speaking clearly of its Alpine origin, with delicate smokiness and lemon curd on the nose and full earthy minerality on the palate."

These are small-production wines that are difficult to obtain outside the market.

Lombardia Sparkling Wines
As shown in the chart below, there are eight DOC(G) sparkling wine appellations in Lombardia.

Two of these appellations (Franciacorta DOCG and Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico) are (i) sparkling-wine specific and (ii) utilize the Champagne method in the production process. In addition, Oltrepò Pavese DOC and Sangue di Giuda DOC are Charmat, with the remaining appellations accomodating either the Charmat or Metodo Classico methods.

With the exception of Riviera del Garda Classico DOC and Sangue di Giuda DOC, all appellations provide for a white sparkling wine. With the exception of Lugana DOC, Sangue di Giuda DOC, and Terre del Colleoni, all regions provide for the production of a Rosé. With the exception of Franciacorta, Lugana, and Riviera del Garda Classico, all regions allow for the production of varietal sparkling wines. Sangue di Giuda DOC is the only region that specifies a red sweet sparkling wine.

Franciacorta, Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico, and Terre del Colleoni allow for the production of vintage-dated sparklers while, in addition, Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico allow for production of Riservas. Vintage-dated and Riserva sparkling wines are required to spend more time on the lees.

A total of 25 varieties are authorized for sparkling wine production across the region; many of these varieties are utilized in one or two applications. The almost ubiquitous varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Banco, and Pinot Grigio.

Veneto Sparkling Wines
Veneto is the ancestral home of Prosecco, the Italian sparkler of the day, but it is also home to wide range of other, mostly unheralded sparkling wines.

The two charts following map the distribution of sparkling wines in Veneto. Of 14 DOCGs, five produce sparkling wines (and three of those are sweet); of 29 DOCs, 20 produce one or more sparkling wines.

There are two sparkling-wine-only appellations: Lissini Durello and Vigneti della Serenissima DOCs. The dominant method of sparkling-wine production is Charmat. A total of four appellations are shared with neighboring regions: Garda and Lugana DOCs with Lombardia; Prosecco DOC with Friuli-Venezia Giulia; and Delle Venezie DOC with Trento and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Emilia-Romagna Sparkling Wines
With 136,000 acres under vine, Emilia-Romagna is the second-largest wine-producing region in Italy after Veneto. The largest wine-producing areas in the region are found in the alluvial plains but the wines from the foothills are attracting attention.

Of the 21 official Emilia-Romagna appellations (2 DOCGs, 19 DOCs), 10 (one DOCG and nine DOCs) provide at least one label under which sparkling wine can be produced. In a number of cases -- Colli di Parma DOC and Colli Piacentini DOC, for example -- the availability of varietal-specific labels provides the producer with the potential to offer between four and six separate sparkling wines.

The biggest concentration of sparkling wine production occurs in the area between Reggio Emilio in the northwest and Bologna, with the Lambrusco zone around Modena serving as the beating heart of this geographic range.

In terms of production methods, 10 of the available labels are Charmat-only while two follow the Champenoise method. All of the other labels allow for the use of both methods based on the producer's preference.

Liguria Sparkling Wines
As shown in the chart below, sparkling wine is produced in the Val Polcèvera and Golfo del Tigullio - Portofino DOCs.

In both of these DOCs, Bianchetto Genovese and Vermentino are featured players while a variety called Albarola is additionally given prominence in Val Polcèvera DOC. It should be noted that a 2009 DNA study has concluded that Albarola and Bianchetto Genovese are genetically identical.

Abissi Sparkling Wine
Bisson Winery has been aging its Metodo Classico wines in 60 meters of water off the coast of Portofino since 2005. The wines -- there are three of them: Spumante Classico, Spumante Riserva, and Spumante Rosé -- are fermented traditionally to produce the base wines and are then bottled and lowered into the sea in July so that the second fermentation can be completed in the anaerobic conditions below the surface of the water.

The Spumante Classico and Riserva are blends of Bianchetto Genovese, Vermentino, and a third cultivar called Cimixià. The Rosé is a blend of Granaccia and Ciliegiolo.

The innovative method of aging is the brainchild of Pierluigi Lugano, the enterprise's winemaker. "When the wine bottles are picked up, they are enriched with incrustations (sic), seaweeds (and sometimes shellfishes, too) ... For health and sanitary reasons, bottles are then dried and wrapped under a protective, clear film, which also serves the purpose of preserving the natural ornament made by the sea,"

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

French sparkling-wine map

Sparkling wine production in France can be placed into four broad categories:

1. Champagne -- King of the hill. Reserved for sparkling wines produced within the delimited area of the Champagne wine region.
2. Crémant -- sparkling wine made using the méthode traditionelle. Wines in this category include Crémant de Loire, Crémant d'Alsace,  Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Bordeaux, Crémant de Die, and the newly minted Crémant de Savoie. These wines have to adhere to the following restrictions:
1. Harvested by hand within set production quotas
2. Whole-bunch pressed
3. Sulfur dioxide use limited
4. > 9 months on lees
5. About half the carbon of Champagne
6. Submitted to a QC tasting panel for approval
3. Méthode Ancestrale -- wines are generally bottled with residual sugar. Effervescence gained via refermentation (or continued fermentation) in the bottle.
4. All others -- sparkling wines made in any of the available sparkling wine production methods to the exclusion of the Méthode Ancestrale.

These four sparkling wine types are mapped to their respective regions in the figure below.


Some observations:

• There are a total of 25 sparkling wine appellations in France with one designated as Champagne, eight as Crémants, four as Méthode Ancestrale, and 12 not-otherwise-attributable.
• Jura and Savoie (seven) and The Loire Valley (five) are the French wine regions with the most sparkling wine AOCs.
• A total of 26 separate varieties are utilized in the production of sparkling wine in France.
• Chardonnay (13 instances), Pinot Noir (10 instances), and Chenin Blanc (7 instances) are the varieties most frequently encountered in French sparkling wines.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

The Methode Ancestrale sparkling wines of France

Sparkling wine production in France can be placed into four broad categories:

1. Champagne -- King of the hill. Reserved for sparkling wines produced within the delimited area of the Champagne wine region.
2. Crémant -- sparkling wine made using the méthode traditionelle. Wines in this category include Crémant de Loire, Crémant d'Alsace,  Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Bordeaux, Crémant de Die, and the recently minted Crémant de Savoie. These wines adhere to the following restrictions:
1. Harvested by hand within set production quotas
2. Whole-bunch pressed
3. Sulfur dioxide use limited
4. > 9 months on lees
5. About half the carbon of Champagne
6. Submitted to a QC tasting panel for approval.
3. Méthode Ancestrale -- wines are generally bottled with residual sugar. Effervescence gained via refermentation (or continued fermentation) in the bottle.
4. All others -- sparkling wines made in any of the available sparkling wine production methods to the exclusion of the Méthode Ancestrale.

The figure below shows the scope of sparkling wine production in France with the designated Methode Ancestrale areas circled in red. I explore the four designated Methode Ancestrale areas in this post.

Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestrale
Limoux AOC has the distinction of being one of only two AOCs (the other is Die) to produce a sparkling wine in each of the available categories (keeping in mind that Champagne production is impossible for producers outside of the region). Limoux AOC sparkling wine production encompasses Crémant de Limoux, Blanquette de Limoux, and Blanquette de Limoux Méthode Ancestrale (The term Blanquette stems from the Mauzac variety developing a white down on its leaves.). I have written previously of the terroir of the region and will discuss the wines in the remainder of this post.

The Méthode Ancestrale sparkling wine -- awarded AOC status in 1938 -- is produced from 100% Mauzac grapes whose partially fermented juice is bottled on a full moon in March. Fermentation concludes in the bottle, producing a wine that is higher in residual sugar, lower in alcohol, and less effervescent than its compatriots. Alcohol levels for this wine is around 7%. Aroma and flavors include apricot, acacia, hawthorne, peach, and apple. Production levels are 4000 hl annually.

Clairette de Die
The Drôme River is a tributary of the Rhône which, conveniently, serves as the dividing line between the wines of the north and south. Die, and its wines, are located in this river valley. Die produces both sparkling and still wines (Chatillon-en-Diois for reds and rosés, Coteaux de Die for whites) but it is in the sparkling wines that our interest lies.

Used with the permission of Syndicat de
la Clairette de Die et des vins du Diois 

Clairette de Die is the appellation for a naturally sparkling wine made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (75% minimum) and Clairette. This wine has a long history with AO status granted in 1910, AOC designation in 1942, and designation as "ancestral dioise process" in 1971.

Clairette de Die grapes are sourced from the same vineyards as are grapes for Cremant de Die. There are a total of 300 farmers involved in grape production, 250 of whom are associated with the Cave de Die Jaillance coop and the remainder either being part of smaller cooperatives or functioning as family farms.

The Clairette de Die production process stands in stark contrast to that of the Cremant de Die. The grapes are rapidly pressed and placed into vats where they are allowed to ferment at low temperatures. After 1 to 2 months, the fermentation is stopped -- the must still contains residual sugar -- and the proceeds bottled. This partially fermented wine is kept in bottle, at temperatures of approximately 12℃, for about 4 months during which time fermentation of the residual sugar continues. The carbon dioxide released during this fermentation is secreted in the wines and will provide the bubbles upon opening. Unlike the traditional method, there are no additives along the way.

Fermentation ceases naturally when the wine is about 7% to 9% abv and, at this time, the wine is ready for drinking. As there is no opportunity to manipulate the sugar content of the wine, it is only available in a Brut style.

Bugey Cerdon AOC
One of the least known of the identified AOCs is Bugey, a small wine region within the Ain départment which, though encumbered by anonymity, has the distinction of being one of four regions (the others being Die, Gaillac, and Limoux) which produce sparkling wines using both the method Champenoise and the Method Ancestrale.

Bugey is sometimes mentioned as being part of the Savoie region but, as shown in the map below, that is far from the truth. The wine region, a VDQS prior to gaining AOC status in 2009, covers 500 ha in 65 villages sited alongside the Rhone as it wends its way south in Savoie and then northwest in Bugey.

Expanded view of Bugey. Source: wineandvinesearch.com

The existing Bugey soil is a result of both the formation of the French pre-Alps as well as the terminal activity of Ice Age glaciers. While fairly heterogeneous, the soils fall into one of two broad camps: (i) clay and limestone (white clay, mountain scree) or (ii) silica and limestone molasse (terminal deposits). The almost-hidden patches of vineyards which comprise this region face southeast or southwest and are, on average, 5 ha in size.

This wine is produced in a Rosé style only using Gamay and Poulsard grapes as the source material. The grapes for this wine  are grown on 136.4 ha of vineyards located on clay-calcareous soils that top the steep hillsides of the 10 villages that comprise the Cerdon cru. The wine is made using the Methode Ancestrale which, in this case, is comprised of the following steps:

1. Grapes are hand-picked
2. Then pressed
3. Partial fermentation at low temperature (preserves the softness, aromas, and colors of the grape; allows retention of some live yeasts) to approximately 6% abv
4. Light filtration
5. Bottling
6. Second fermentation in bottle. At conclusion, 7.5 - 8% abv plus fair amount of sugar
7. Filter wine
8. Re-bottle.

This process yields a crisp, tart, sweet wine with a grapey aroma and red fruit flavors. Annual production is at 9620 hl, 30% of the volume of all wine produced in Bugey.

Gaillac Methode Ancestrale
Gaillac is a part of Wines of Southwest France, the region covering wine-producing areas south and inland of Bordeaux.

Gaillac is located 50 km east of Toulouse in the northern part of the Tarn region.

According to Wines of Gaillac, a combination of heat from the Mediterranean and the ocean humidity of Bordeaux provides perfect growing conditions for the region. These conditions are further enhanced by the Autan, a warm, dry wind that blows in from the warm region of East Central Africa.

Gaillac has a varied terroir, as shown in the chart below.

Gaillac's winemaking history stretches back to Roman times but a number of disasters through the years has limited its current production levels to 155,000 hL annually. Sixty percent of said production is red, 30% white, and the remaining 10% Rosé. The white production levels include dry, sweet, a lightly sparkling specialty called Perle, and the Methode Ancestrale sparkler (Andrew Jefford, Enigmatic Variation, Decanter, 2/20/17).

Gaillac's Methode Ancestrale, also called Methode Gaillacoise, goes back to the 1500s and has been an AOC since 1937. The Mauzac variety is generally its source material. Bibendum.com.au uses the wine from Plageoles to illustrate the production of this wine:

• 40-year-old vines situated in Cahuzac-sur-Vere
• Naturally fermented base wines chilled to stop fermentation when there is 25 - 30 g/l residual sugar remaining
• Juice manually fed through an antique filter utilizing coarse cotton sacks (allows some natural yeasts to remain in contact with the juice)
• The wine is bottled the following spring and fermentation continues producing the bubbles.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Beyond Champagne: The French Crémants

Sparkling wine production in France can be placed into four broad categories:

1. Champagne -- King of the hill. Reserved for sparkling wines produced within the delimited area of the Champagne wine region.
2. Crémant -- sparkling wine made using the méthode traditionelle. 
3. Méthode Ancestrale -- wines are generally bottled with residual sugar. Effervescence gained via refermentation (or continued fermentation) in the bottle.
4. All others -- sparkling wines made in any of the available sparkling wine production methods to the exclusion of the Méthode Ancestrale.

The figure below shows the scope of sparkling wine production in France with the designated Crémant areas circled in red.

These wines adhere to the following restrictions:

1. Harvested by hand within set production quotas
2. Whole-bunch pressed
3. Sulfur dioxide use limited
4. > 9 months on lees
5. About half the carbon of Champagne
6. Submitted to a QC tasting panel for approval.

I explore the Crémant areas in this post ordered by the date of appellation award.

Crémant de Bourgogne
The Crémants of Bourgogne and Loire were the earliest to be awarded that designation back in 1975. The Bourgogne production area stretches over 2,000 ha. spread over the regions and communes shown below.

The appellation covers white and Rosé sparkling wines with the main varieties being Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with secondary support provided by Gamay, Aligoté, Melon, and Sacy.

The grapes are hand-harvested in whole bunches. The wine styles are:

• Bourgogne blanc -- minimum 30% Pinot Noir and or Chardonnay
• Blanc de Blancs -- Chardonnay and Aligoté
• Blanc de Noirs -- Pinot Noir
• Rosé -- Pinot Noir alone or with a little Gamay

These wines can be made either Brut or demi-sec.

In 2016, two categories were added to Crémant de Bourgogne:

• Eminent -- aged on lees for a minimumm of 24 months
• Grand Eminent -- stipulates variety of vine and potential alcohol. Aging requirement of a minimum of 36 months.

The 2016 production was 152, 515 hl, 10% of the wine made in Burgundy. Thirty-two percent of the production is exported.

Crémant de Loire
The Crémant de Loire appellation was awarded in 1975. A wide variety of grapes can be used but the most common is Chenin Blanc. The wine can be made in the Anjou, Samur, and Touraine regions (shown in the map below) but, in practice, is made primarily in Saumur

According to Loire Valley Wines, the production area is 1623 ha covering 318 municipalities and 320 producers. Most recent production numbers amount to 104, 800 hl (14,000,000 bottles).

The varieties utilized include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleaux Noir, Pineau d'Aunis, Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc, and Chardonnay.

According to Winesearcher, "A good Crémant has tight, persistent effercescence and a complex, nutty, gently honeyed nose ..." with floral aromas yielded by the Chenin Blanc.

Crémant d'Alsace

Sparkling wine via the traditional method was being made in Alsace as early as the late 19th century but only gained AOC status on August 24th, 1976.

As shown in the map below, Alsace is one of the most northerly of the French wine regions. Alsace's climate is continental (hot summers, cold winters) with the Vosges acting as a barrier to the prevailing westerly winds as well as providing a rain shadow for the vineyards. Rainfall average in Alsace is 610 mm.

A total of 13 soil types have been identified in Alsace and the diversity of its wine and styles have generally been attributed to the complex composition of the soils. One or more varieties have traditionally been linked with each of the soil types. Some of the identified soil types are as follows:

• marl-limestone
• marl-limestone-sandstone
• granite
• clay-marl
• schist
• sandstone
• colluvial-chalk
• volcanic.  

Alsace vineyards extend across the Vosges foothills -- on east and southeast-facing slopes at elevations ranging between 200 and 400 meters -- and on the alluvial plain below. A total of 14,000 ha is devoted to grape growing of which 2800 is dedicated to grapes for the sparkling wine. Vines are trained Guyot simple or double and are planted at a minimum density of 4000 vines/ha.

Crémant d'Alsace vineyards are to be found in the AOC Alsace designated areas.

Key characteristics of Crémant d'Alsace are compared to Champagne in the table below.

Characteristic	Crémant d’Alsace	Champagne
Growers	500	15,000
Pruning	Guyot: simple or double	Cordon de Royal Taille Chablis Guyot Valle de Marne
Varieties	Pinot Blanc (structure, neutral varietal character) Pinot Gris Auxerrois (volume) Pinot Noir (Rosé, fruit and structure) Riesling (to increase   acidity) Chardonnay	Pinot Noir (35%) Chardonnay (25%) Pinot Meunier (40%)
Production Zone	2800 ha	32,900 ha
Ha/grower	5.6	2.2
Yield	12.8 tons/ha	13 -15 tons/ha

Grapes are hand-harvested and subjected to whole-bunch pressing. Crémant d'Alsace producers press 100 liters of juice per 150 kilograms of grapes, with the first 50 liters designated as cuvée, the next 47 liters as taille, and the last three liters consigned to brandy production. The cuvée pressing is generally used in prestige wines while the taille, which has more phenols and potassium (potassium increases the pH and buffers wine acidity), is used in secondary wines.

Crémant d'Alsace grapes are harvested pre-maturity at 11% potential alcohol and then chaptalized such that post-fermentation they will approach 12.5% alcohol. At the conclusion the wines are registered and designated Vin destiné a l'elaboration de Crémant d'Alsace.

Crémants must spend at least 9 months on lees before disgorgement and come in four styles: Blanc de Blanc (from Pinot Blanc), Blanc Noir (white Cremant from Pinot Noir), Rosé (from Pinot Noir), and NV Cuvees (varietal blends).

Crémant d'Alsace volume has risen from 1 million bottles in 1979, to 2 million bottles in 1982 and 33 million bottles today. Most of the wine is consumed in France.

Crémant de Bordeaux
This appellation replaced the AOC Bordeaux Mousseux and covers production in 500 parishes and 530 ha for whites and 140 ha for rosés. The varieties utilized include Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon for whites and Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot for the rosés.

Grapes are hand-harvested and delicately pressed to produce 100 L of wine per 150 kg of harvested fruit. The wine has to spend a minimum of 9 months on lees and cannot be sold before spending at least 12 months in bottle.

Crémant de Limoux
Limoux AOC has the distinction of being one of only two AOCs (the other is Die) to produce a sparkling wine in each of the available categories (keeping in mind that Champagne production is impossible for producers outside of the region). Limoux AOC sparkling wine production encompasses Crémant de Limoux, Blanquette de Limoux, and Blanquette de Limoux Méthode Ancestrale (The term Blanquette stems from the Mauzac variety developing a white down on its leaves.). I have written previously of the terroir of the region and will discuss the wines in the remainder of this post.

Crémant de Limoux gained its AOC status in 1990. The primary grapes are Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc which, together, should not exceed 90% of the blend. Chardonnay must be a minimum 40% of the blend while Chenin Blanc can range between 20% and 40%. The secondary grapes in the blend are Mauzac Blanc and Pinot Noir with the latter limited to a max of 20%. A total of 620 ha is devoted to the production of grapes for this wine. Crémant de Limoux offers up aromas of white flowers, citrus, and toast. This wine spends 12 months on the lees plus three months post-disgorgement in bottle prior to sale. Alcohol level post-dosage is at 13%. Annual production is 24,745 hl.

Crémant de Die
Crémant de Die is the appellation for sparkling wine made in the Champagne manner and utilizing the following varieties: Clairette (55% minimum), Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (5 to 10%), and Aligoté (10 to 40%). Production of this wine began in the 1960s and, until 2004, was restricted to Clairette only. The wine was awarded AOC designation in 1993.

Used with the permission of Syndicat de
la Clairette de Die et des vins du Diois 

Grapes for the wine are whole-bunch-harvested and then run through the traditional method. The wines are aged on lees for a minimum of 12 months with the norm being somewhere between 12 and 36 months. The finished wine is described as having rich aromas with notes of apple and green fruit and freshness on the finish. The altitude, limestone and clay soils, and temperature shifts results in high levels of natural acidity in the wine.

Over 40% of the region's sparkling wine is classed as Cremant de Die. The 13 producers involved in the business make 400,000 bottles annually with 85% of that production being consumed within France.

Crémant du Jura
Crémant du Jura gained AOC status in 1995 and its coverage is the same as for the Côtes du Jura with a growing area covering 210 ha spread over 105 communes. According to Wink Lorch -- who wrote the book on Jura -- 90%of Jura producers make some Crémant with one in four bottles sold out of the region being a sparkling wine.

The appellation covers white (a minimum of 70% Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Trousseau with Poulsard and Savagnin allowed for the remainder)and Rosé (any blend of three red grapes must amount to 50% of the wine with Chardonnay and Savagnin allowed for the balance) wines.

Grapes for the wine are hand-harvested and whole-bunch-pressed using either a traditional wooden Champagne press or a bladder press (Wink Lorch). As is the case for the other Crémant regions, a maximum yield of 100 liters of juice per 150 kg of fruit is mandated.

According to Wink, most of the white Crémants are, in practice, 100% Chardonnay and have an apple character with brioche notes that intensify with increasing time on lees. These wines can be either Brut or demi-sec.

Crémant de Savoie
The appellation was granted to this region in 2014 giving producers the ability to sell under the label at the end of 2015. The requirements are that 60% of the blend from local grapes Jacquère and Altese, with at least 40% being Jacquère. The balance can be from Chasselas, Aligoté, and Chardonnay.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

The sparkling wines of Bugey AOC (Ain, France)

In a recent post I shared a graphic of the full scope of French AOC sparkling wine production and identified the relevant bucket into which each instance fell. One of the least known of the identified AOCs is Bugey, a small wine region within the Ain départment which, though encumbered by anonymity, has the distinction of being one of four regions (the others being Die, Gaillac, and Limoux) which produce sparkling wines using both the method Champenoise and the Method Ancestrale. The sparkling wines of Bugey (circled in orange in the map below) are explored in this post.

Bugey is sometimes mentioned as being part of the Savoie region but, as shown in the map below, that is far from the truth. The wine region, a VDQS prior to gaining AOC status in 2009, covers 500 ha in 65 villages sited alongside the Rhone as it wends its way south in Savoie and then northwest in Bugey.

Expanded view of Bugey. Source: wineandvinesearch.com

The existing Bugey soil is a result of both the formation of the French pre-Alps as well as the terminal activity of Ice Age glaciers. While fairly heterogeneous, the soils fall into one of two broad camps: (i) clay and limestone (white clay, mountain scree) or (ii) silica and limestone molasse (terminal deposits). The almost-hidden patches of vineyards which comprise this region face southeast or southwest and are, on average, 5 ha in size.

Bugey has identified three cru vineyards (shown in the map below) within its territory and wines produced in these areas are allowed to place the cru name on the label.

Bugey crus. Source: vinsdubugey.net

The Cerdon cru is comprised of vineyards resident on slopes to the west and south of the namesake village. These steep, south-facing vineyards sit at 500+ m elevation on clay-limestone soils. A total of 10 villages are included in the Cerdon cru. The Montagnieu cru runs along the right bank of the looping Rhone and, as a result, its vineyards face either east or west. The Belley vineyards reside on the gently sloping hillsides between the foothills of the mountain and the banks of the Rhone. The vineyards that are actually in the foothills face steep gradients and limestone boulders. The soil here is variable.

Sparkling wines are produced in Bugey under three separate AOCs: Bugey AOC sparkling, sparkling Bugey Cerdon AOC, and sparkling Montagnieu AOC.

Bugey AOC Sparkling
This AOC covers white and Rosé sparkling wines produced region-wide using the traditional (Champagne) method. A total of 56.5 ha across the 65 villages are engaged in growing grapes for the production of this wine. The Rosé is made from Gamay and Pinot Noir grapes -- together accounting for at leas 50% of the blend -- plus Mondeuse, Pinot Gris, and Poulsard. The white is made from a blend of Chardonnay and Janquère -- at least 70% of the blend -- plus, based on the winemaker's bent, Aligoté, Mondeuse white, Pinot Gris, Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Poulsard. Annual production averages 4000 hl.

Bugey Cerdon AOC
This wine is produced in a Rosé style only using Gamay and Poulsard grapes as the source material. The grapes for this wine  are grown on 136.4 ha of vineyards located on clay-calcareous soils that top the steep hillsides of the 10 villages that comprise the Cerdon cru. The wine is made using the Methode Ancestrale which, in this case, is comprised of the following steps:

1. Grapes are hand-picked
2. Then pressed
3. Partial fermentation at low temperature (preserves the softness, aromas, and colors of the grape; allows retention of some live yeasts) to approximately 6% abv
4. Light filtration
5. Bottling
6. Second fermentation in bottle. At conclusion, 7.5 - 8% abv plus fair amount of sugar
7. Filter wine
8. Re-bottle.

This process yields a crisp, tart, sweet wine with a grapey aroma and red fruit flavors. Annual production is at 9620 hl, 30% of the volume of all wine produced in Bugey.

Sparkling Montagnieu AOC
White sparkling wine (dry and semi-dry) made by the traditional method from grapes grown on 23.1 ha in three villages. The varieties involved are Aligoté, Chardonnay, Mondeuse (three together must make up at least 70% of the blend), Janquère, Pinot Noir and Gamay. The grapes are grown on clay and limestone soils infused with small stones and, in some areas, parted by bedrock outcrops. Annual production of 1530 hl.

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Of the three wines listed, the Bugey Cerdon is the most well-known; but that is relative. Most of the production is consumed locally -- very.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Champagne and Cremant d'Alsace: Comparisons and Contrasts

Champagne is the undisputed king of sparkling wines in France (and the world) but it is not by any means "home alone." Sparkling wines of note are also made in Alsace, the Loire Valley, and Burgundy (Crémant d'Alsace, de Loire, de Bourgogne, and de Bordeaux) while less consequential sparklers are produced in Limoux, Bordeaux, Die, and Jura. In this post we will examine the Alsace sparkling wine in relation to Champagne.

It is most likely that the secondary fermentation process -- the hallmark of Champagne -- was invented by Christopher Merret (1614 - 1695), an English Scientist who is credited with being the first person to deliberately add sugar to wine in order to create bubbles. Champagne's road to AOC-dom is littered with legal pronouncements culminating in the 1927 law which was the basis for the French AOC system. Sparkling wine via the traditional method was being made in Alsace as early as the late 19th century but only gained AOC status on August 24th, 1976.

As shown in the map below, Champagne and Alsace are two of the most northerly wine regions in France (48.793 latitude versus 48.318). Alsace's climate is continental (hot summers, cold winters) with the Vosges acting as a barrier to the prevailing westerly winds as well as providing a rain shadow for the vineyards. Rainfall average in Alsace is 610 mm. Champagne has the lowest average temperature of any French wine-growing region and, consequently, grapes do not ripen adequately over the course of a growing season. The northernmost outposts of the region are about 290 kilometers from the English Channel and are subject to oceanic influences. These areas experience regular rainfall but very little variation in temperature from season to season. As the traveler journeys south, however, continental climatic influences come into play to include: winter and spring frosts; summer sunshine coupled with violent thunderstorms; cold, wet weather in June; and hailstorms. Mean rainfall in the region is 700 mm.

A total of 13 soil types have been identified in Alsace and the diversity of its wine and styles have generally been attributed to the complex composition of the soils. One or more varieties have traditionally been linked with each of the soil types. Some of the identified soil types are as follows:

• marl-limestone
• marl-limestone-sandstone
• granite
• clay-marl
• schist
• sandstone
• colluvial-chalk
• volcanic.  

The soil in Champagne is composed of massive chalk deposits interspersed with rocky outcroppings and covered with a thin layer of topsoil (mix of sand, marl, clay and lignite which requires constant renewal through fertilization). The chalk deposits in Champagne are finer-grained and more porous than other French limestone soils -- and have extremely high concentrations of the mineral marls Belemnite (younger and found higher up on the growing slopes) and Micraster (older and located on the valley floors) -- while the rocky outcroppings are 75% limestone plus chalk and marl. Chalk has excellent drainage as well as water-retention properties in that its micro-pores can absorb water during wet periods and slowly release it during drier periods. In addition chalk will also reflect sunlight and heat thus aiding in the ripening of the grapes. The chalk soil allows the vine roots to dig freely and deeply in search of water and nutrients and also retains a constant temperature year round.  One of the disadvantages of this alkaline lime-rich soil is that it prevents the uptake of minerals -- such as iron, copper, and magnesium -- which are needed for the prevention of chlorosis.

Alsace vineyards extend across the Vosges foothills -- on east and southeast-facing slopes at elevations ranging between 200 and 400 meters -- and on the alluvial plain below. A total of 14,000 ha is devoted to grape growing of which 2800 is dedicated to grapes for the sparkling wine. Vines are trained Guyot simple or double and are planted at a minimum density of 4000 vines/ha. There are 32,900 hectares of vineyards in Champagne (3.4% of France's vineyard total) distributed across 319 communities (357 after the most recent revisions are adopted). The best Champagne vineyards are planted on slopes at elevations falling between 90 and 200 meters. Such locations situate the vineyard high enough to be clear of the frost and low enough to avoid extreme weather. The vineyards are predominantly located on south-, east-, and southeast-facing slopes which average 12% but can be as high as 60% in areas.

Cremant d'Alsace vineyards are to be found in the AOC Alsace designated areas. While Champagne grapes can be sourced from Premier and Grand Cru vineyards, that designation is not necessarily an indication of a vineyard's quality. Rather, the designation -- Échelle des crus (ladder of growths) -- is an index of price based on the quality of grapes from classified vineyards. Grapes from Deuxieme Cru vineyards can be assigned scores of between 80% and 89%, grapes from Premier Cru vineyards can be assigned scores between 90% and 99%, while Grand Cru grapes are assigned scores of 100%. As formulated, the score that a grape-lot is assigned within a specific season is an indication of the price that the Champagne House is willing to pay in relation to the pricing for Grand Cru grapes in the season.

Key characteristics of the two wines are summarized in the table below.

Characteristic	Cremant d’Alsace	Champagne
Growers	500	15,000
Pruning	Guyot: simple or double	Cordon de Royal Taille Chablis Guyot Valle de Marne
Varieties	Pinot Blanc (structure, neutral varietal character) Pinot Gris Auxerrois (volume) Pinot Noir (Rosé, fruit and structure) Riesling (to increase   acidity) Chardonnay	Pinot Noir (35%) Chardonnay (25%) Pinot Meunier (40%)
Production Zone	2800	32,900 ha
Ha/grower	5.6	2.2
Yield	12.8 tons/ha	13 -15 tons/ha

The method of production is essentially the same for both Cremant d'Alsace and Champagne. Grapes for both are hand-harvested and subjected to whole-bunch pressing. Cremant d'Alsace producers presses 100 liters of juice per 150 kilograms of grapes with the first 50 liters designated as cuvée, the next 47 liters as taille, and the last three liters consigned to brandy production. The cuvée pressing is generally used in prestige wines while the taille, which has more phenols and potassium (potassium increases the pH and buffers wine acidity), is used in secondary wines. Champagne producers press 0.956 liters from 150 kilograms of grape with 4/5ths of the total designated cuvée and the remainder taille.

Cremant d'Alsace grapes are harvested pre-maturity at 11% potential alcohol and then chaptalized such that post-fermentation they will approach 12.5% alcohol. At the conclusion the wines are registered and designated Vin destiné a l'elaboration de Crémant d'Alsace.

The next step in the process sets Champagne apart from other sparkling wines. In order to produce Champagne that aligns with the House style, the Chef de Cave has to memorize and blend wines from a broad array of crus from the current vintage plus wines from the reserve as necessary. There is no such blending in Cremant d'Alsace and the wine cannot be bottled before January 1 of the year following harvest. Cremants must spend at least 9 months on lees before disgorgement while NV Champagnes spend at least 15 months and vintage spend at least 36 months. While there is some oak aging in Champagne, there is no such practice in Alsace.

Cremant d'Alsace comes in four styles: Blanc de Blanc (from Pinot Blanc), Blanc Noir (white Cremant from Pinot Noir), Rosé (from Pinot Noir), and NV Cuvees (varietal blends). While there are sweetness designation on Champagne labels, there is no such officially sanctioned practice in Alsace.

Cremant d'Alsace volume has risen from 1 million bottles in 1979, to 2 million bottles in 1982 and 33 million bottles today. Most of the wine is consumed in France. Cremant d' Alsace is a distant second to Champagne which produced a total of 322 million bottles in 2011.  Fifty-six percent of the Champagne produced was consumed in France with the remainder being shipped abroad to the United Kingdom, United States, and Germany among others.

A perusal of prices on wine-searcher showed a low price of $6 and and high of $15 for Cremant d'Alsace. The average price for a NV Champagne is in the $35 range while the top-end cuvées of many of the large Champagne Houses can run into the multiple-hundred-dollar range.

Revised 1/25/14 to add origins of both wines.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Part II -- Regulatory histories: The definitive comparison of Champagne, Franciacorta, Prosecco, and Cava

The regulatory histories of Champagne and Prosecco are bound up in brand protection strategies and questions as to the physical boundaries of the brand and who/what would be excluded from the brand inner circle.  The case of Champagne was further complicated by an internecine war between the French Departments of Marne and Aube as to wheteher Aube should be considered a part of Champagne or a part of Burgundy. The regulatory histories of Prosecco and Franciacorta were tame in comparison.

In the 1890s and early 1900s, the grape growers in Marne and Aube felt that the Champagne Houses were bringing grapes in from other French regions, blending it with local grapes, and calling the resulting product Champagne.  This was a problem on two levels: (i) It had quality implications in that bad product would reflect directly on the "Champagne" growers and (ii) more importantly, it provided competition for local grapes in an environment where prices were already deathly low. Growers organized themselves into the Fédérations des Syndicats Viticoles de la Champagne and lobbied the government to pass laws that would make it a fraudulent act to sell a wine as Champagne if it was made, wholly or in part, with grapes from "foreign" sources. The Law of August 1, 1905, went a long way to meeting the organization's goal in that it allowed the government to regulate the composition and origin of wine "of general and specific areas" (maisons-champagne.com) and to pursue offenders.

In order to "flesh out" the 1905 Law, a December 1908 Law defined the areas that would be considered as Champagne for wine-production purposes.  The areas designated as such were Marne and selected communes in Aisne to a total of 33,500 hectares.  A subsequent Law passed on the 17 June, 1911 designated Aube as a Champagne-Deuxième Zone, a classification which would prevent Aube-resident growers from selling their grapes into the main Champagne region.  The Aube growers were unhappy with this solution and they took the issue up again after the end of WWI and got relief with the Law of May 6, 1919 which defined the Champagne wine-growing region in terms of size as well as grape varieties.  Marne inhabitants disputed the Law and it was placed in the hands of an arbitrator for final resolution.  His findings, which made their way into the Law of 1927, defined the AOC system for all of France, did away with the Champagne-Deuxième Zone, and included Aube in the Champagne AOC (maisons-champagne.com).

Champagne region post the 1927 Law (Map source: terroir-france.com/wine/champagne_map.htm)

Beginning in 1935, a governing body was put in place to "ensure that wines called Champagne consistently meet definitive quality standards, both inside and outside the region" (Margaret Weeks, A Toast to the Good Life: Exploring the Regulation of Reason, April 2003, leda.law.harvard.com).  Organizational names have changed over the years but the mission has remained the same. The progression of organizations are as follows: Commission of Chalons -- established by the French Government in 1935; Commission of Chalons dissolved by the Vichy Government during WWII and replaced with the Bureau National de Repartition des Vins de Champagne; and Vichy organization was replaced by the Comite Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), the organization that manages the process up to this day.

On Friday March 14, 2008, decanter.com reported (New Champagne areas defined) the first major changes to the Champagne region since the passage of the 1927 Laws. According to the report, the grape-growing zone was to be expanded from 319 communes to 357, the wine-production zone was to be expanded from 634 communes to 675, and two wine-growing communes were to be struck from the  list of approved growing areas.

The Prosecco DOC was first awarded in 1969 and was restricted to wines produced in the Conegliano-Valdiobbadene region.  Growers felt that the brand was under attack by "imitators" using just the grape variety and moved to isolate those competitors by changing both the rules and the venue of the game.  Prosecco growers agitated for, and gained regulatory acceptance of: (i) extension of the Prosecco DOC to cover all of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and approximately two-thirds of Veneto; (ii) promotion of the original Prosecco DOC to DOCG status; (iii) changing the name of the source grape from Prosecco to Glera; and (iv) restricting the use of the name Prosecco only to Glera sparkling wines produced within the delimited zones.  The growers felt that these actions would serve to protect their territory, the brand, and the quality of Prosecco.  The regulations authorizing these actions came into law in 2009.

Pre-2009 Prosecco regulated zone (Map source: prosecco.it)

Post-2009 Prosecco regulated zone (Map source: prosecco.it)

As I mentioned previously, there were no perceived existential threats to either the Cava or Franciacorta brands so their regulatory histories were relatively tumult-free. The Trade Regulations for Sparkling and Fizzy Wines was first established in Spain in 1959 and was formalized in the 1969 Order of the Ministry of Agriculture wherein Cava was acknowledged as the term for sparkling wines made with second fermentation in the bottle. The 1972 Minesterial Order established the Regulatory Board of Sparkling Wines -- comprised of vinegrowers, producers, and Community Representatives -- which oversees the growing, production and marketing of Cava. Cava was granted DO designation in 1986 and is considered a quality wine under the EU Laws.

The Franciacorta Consorzio was founded in 1980 and the region obtained DOCG status in 1986.

My next post in the series will focus on the physical characteristics of the regions.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Champagne wine region: Terroir and viticulture

Almost like no other, the word Champagne resonates with both the drinker and non-drinker; with the casual drinker and the celebrant; and, especially, with lovers of the finest vintage cuvées of the Champagne Houses, produced, as they are, in only high-quality years.  Champagne is the foremost sparkling wine in the world and has come to be, moreover, one of the defining markers of luxury.  Sparkling wines are made the world over but only sparkling wines made from grapes grown in legally defined areas in Champagne, and constructed using the rigidly defined methodé champenoise, can be called Champagne.  I will explore the path taken to construct this temple of luxury and pleasure beginning with this post on the terroir and viticulture of its home region.

Champagne (translates to "open countryside") is located 160 kilometers east of Paris and, at 49º N latitude, its northern portions are at the northern edge of the world's wine-growing regions.

The formulation of the Champagne region was a two-step process beginning with a 1908 decree delimiting the area within which the wine could be produced and culminating with a 1927 law which specified: the limits of the wine-growing region; grape cultivation, pruning and harvesting; and the fermentation method in the bottle.

Located as far north as it is, Champagne has the lowest average temperature of any French wine-growing region and, consequently, grapes do not ripen adequately over the course of a growing season.  The northernmost outposts of the region are about 290 kilometers from the English Channel and are subject to oceanic influences.  These areas experience regular rainfall but very little variation in temperature from season to season.  As the traveler journeys south, however, continental climatic influences come into play to include: winter and spring frosts; summer sunshine coupled with violent thunderstorms; cold, wet weather in June; and hailstorms.  Mean rainfall in the region is 700 mm.

The soil in Champagne is composed of massive chalk deposits interspersed with rocky outcroppings and covered with a thin layer of topsoil.  The chalk deposits in Champagne are finer-grained and more porous than other French limestone soils -- and have extremely high concentrations of the mineral marls Belemnite (younger and found higher up on the growing slopes) and Micraster (older and located on the valley floors) -- while the rocky outcroppings are 75% limestone plus chalk and marl.  Chalk has excellent drainage as well as water-retention properties in that its micro-pores can absorb water during wet periods and slowly release it during drier periods.  In addition chalk will also reflect sunlight and heat thus aiding in the ripening of the grapes (Click here for a fuller description of Champagne's soils).

There are 34,00 hectares of vineyards in Champagne, 3.4% of France's vineyard total.  The Champagne vineyards are worked by 15,000 growers (an average of 2 ha per grower), 150 cooperatives, and 300 Champagne Houses.  Growers own 90% of the vineyards but sell most of their production to Champagne Houses.  The Champagne Houses own 10% of the vineyards but account for 69% of Champagne shipments (champagne.fr).

Champagne's vineyards extend over 5 districts (shown in the map below) and 319 villages.  The districts are Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte des Bar, and Aube.   Montagne de Reims is a forested plateau south of Reims that is known for rich, full-bodied Champagnes and the dominance of Pinot Noir, with some Chardonnay plantings in Trepail and Villers-Marmery.  Vallée de la Marne has Epernay as its core as it hugs the banks of the River Marne. This area is best known for Pinot Meunier but Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grow well here also. The soil here is comprised of a limestone topsoil overlaying layers of Belemnite and Micraster chalk.  Chardonnay is dominant in the Côte des Blancs and Pinot Noir in the Côte des Bar.  The soil in the Côte des Bar is Portlandian cap rock overlaying Kimmeridgian soil, a geologic profile that is much closer to Chablis than to the rest of Champagne.

Source: champagne.fr

The best Champagne vineyards are planted on slopes at elevations falling between 90 and 200 meters.  Such locations situate the vineyard high enough to be clear of the frost and low enough to avoid extreme weather.  This siting also places these vineyards smack dab in the middle of the Belemnite formations that are slope-located.  The vineyards are predominantly located on south-, east-, and southeast-facing slopes which average 12% but can be as high as 60% in areas.

Unlike the Burgundy wine region, the Grand/Premier Cru designation for a vineyard is not necessarily an indication of a vineyard's quality.  Rather, the designation -- Échelle des crus (ladder of growths) -- is an index of price based on the quality of grapes from classified vineyards.  Grapes from Deuxieme Cru vineyards can be assigned scores of between 80% and 89%, grapes from Premier Cru vineyards can be assigned scores between 90% and 99%, while Grand Cru grapes are assigned scores of 100%. As formulated, the score that a grape-lot is assigned within a specific season is an indication of the price that the Champagne House is willing to pay in relation to the pricing for Grand Cru grapes in the season.  The Champagne vineyards with Grand Cru designation are shown in the table below.

The allowed vineyard pruning methods are specified in the Champagne AOC requirements.  The allowed methods, along with their characteristics, are presented in the table below.

Source: Compiled from Michael Edwards, The Finest Wines of Champagne (University of CA Press) and champagnegallery.com.au

The dominant grapes used in Champagne are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier.  After many years of testing, these grapes have been shown to best provide the needed inputs for quality Champagne: (i) a good balance of sugar and acid; (ii) rich, subtle taste, and (iii) an affinity for bubbles.  In addition to these three, Champagne can also include Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Arbane.  These are rarely used and only in small quantities.

My next post on Champagne will cover viniculture and maturation.

© Wine -- Mise en abyme