Champagne grapes and wine areas
Jan 01, 2018
Champagne wines were developed for the first time by French Benedictine monks in the 17th century (some say Dom Perignon was the very first monk to create champagne but it's controversial).Champagne region has hundreds of kilometers of underground cellars and impressive "crayères" where wines are aging.
Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay are the main grape varieties used to make Champagne.
The three main areas in Champagne are:
- Montagne de Reims where we find the best Pinot Noir,
- Vallée de la Marne where Pinot Meunier is the dominant grape,
- Côte des Blancs, the realm of Chardonnay.
We cannot ignore Cote des Bar, south of Champagne, less prestigious area with mainly Pinot Noir where many "small" vineyards owners are producing their own wines.
There are three kind of White Champagne according to the grapes:
- Classic with a blend of grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay,
- Blanc de Noirs, made from red grapes: Pinot noir, Pinot meunier
- Blanc de Blancs, made from white grapes: Chardonnay
Next article soon on the winemaking of Champagne and Champagne Rosé, an atypical process!
