Champagne
Nine authorised grapes. Four sub-regions. Two schools: grower and house. Everything we wrote about it, in one place.
1 · Start here
What Champagne is, how it comes to be, and why it is wine above all.2 · Grapes
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier drive the area. Plus Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay Rose (2025) and Voltis (VIFA).
Pinot Noir in Champagne: power, flesh and structure
Pinot Noir is the largest grape variety in Champagne at 38 percent. On the Montagne and in the Aube it brings body, red fruit and great ageing capacity.
Chardonnay in Champagne: the white backbone
Chardonnay in Champagne is more than a blend partner. On chalk it brings chalky tension, length of finish and the base of every Blanc de Blancs.
The nine grapes of Champagne (not three)
Champagne now allows nine grape varieties. Eight vinifera plus Voltis as an experimental hybrid. What they do, where they grow, and why it matters.
Champagne: Grapes, Region and Styles
Complete guide to Champagne wine: grapes, appellations, styles from blanc de blancs to rosé, grower champagne versus the grandes maisons, and what cuvées mean.
3 · Styles
Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Demi-Sec, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Prestige Cuvée.
Blanc de Noirs: white Champagne from black grapes
Blanc de Noirs is white Champagne made only from Pinot Noir and/or Meunier. How white comes from black grapes, and where the style is strongest.
Champagne styles: from Brut Nature to Rosé
The eight Champagne styles explained: from Brut Nature to Demi-Sec, plus Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé and Prestige Cuvée. What dosage means.
4 · Production & method
Tirage, autolysis, riddling, disgorgement, dosage. What second fermentation adds and how long it sits on the lees.5 · Region & terroir
Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Bar. Plus Grand Cru and Premier Cru explained.Champagne region and terroir: four subregions, one AOC
Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Bar. The four subregions of Champagne, their soils and what Grand Cru means.
Les Riceys: Champagne's Best-Kept Secret
Les Riceys lies at the southern edge of Champagne, near Burgundy. This village legally produces three different AOC wines, including the rare Rosé des Riceys.
6 · History & makers
Dom Pérignon, the big houses versus the grower revolution. The story behind the glass.7 · Glossary
The recurring Champagne terms — explained in one sentence, clickable to the full lexicon entry.Ambonnay
Grand Cru village on the southern slopes of the Montagne de Reims. 387 hectares, 81 percent Pinot Noir. Home of Egly-Ouriet and Krug Clos d'Ambonnay.
→ GrapeArbane
Rare white grape of Champagne, less than 0.3 percent of plantings. Late-ripening, high acidity. Preserved by a handful of growers in the Aube.
→ TechniqueAutolysis
Breakdown of dead yeast cells during extended lees ageing in the bottle. Source of brioche, hazelnut and creamy texture in Champagne and other traditional-method sparkling wines.
→ RegionAvize
Grand Cru village on the Côte des Blancs, near 100 percent Chardonnay. Central position on the Montagne d'Avize, home to a string of leading growers.
→ RegionAÿ Grand Cru
Historic village on the southern slope of the Montagne de Reims, known for powerful Pinot Noir and one of the seventeen Grand Cru communes of Champagne.
→ StyleBlanc de Blancs
Champagne made from white grapes only, which in practice almost always means one hundred percent Chardonnay.
→ StyleBlanc de Noirs
White Champagne made entirely from black grapes, typically Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or a blend of both.
→ RegionBouzy
Grand Cru village on the southern Montagne de Reims. 378 hectares, 87 percent Pinot Noir. Known for Bouzy Rouge, a still red Coteaux Champenois.
→ StyleBrut
Dosage category for sparkling wine: up to 12 g/l residual sugar. The de-facto standard for non-vintage Champagne, around 95 percent of production.
→ StyleBrut Nature
Strictest dosage category: 0 to 3 g/l residual sugar, no added sugar. Also Pas Dosé or Zéro Dosage. Shows the base wine without mercy.
→ GrapeChardonnay
White grape, about 30 percent of Champagne's vineyard area. Near-monoculture on the Côte des Blancs. Base of nearly every Blanc de Blancs.
→ RegionChouilly
Grand Cru village in the northern Côte des Blancs, 522 hectares, 98.7 percent Chardonnay. Clay in the topsoil gives a rounder, fuller character. Home of Nicolas Feuillatte.
→This is the reference. For reviews, opinion and podcast conversations about Champagne: see the blocks below.
About Champagne, not in the Library
Reviews, opinion and market news about Champagne are under Articles. 5 pieces.
Champagne on Sparks (podcast)
Conversations with champagnistes and cellar masters. 8 episodes.
- → Sparks #37: Evmorfia Kostaki wants you to forget that Samos means sweet wine
- → Sparks #36: Benoît Gouez on Blending the Art of Moët Champagne
- → Sparks #30: Yiannis Mylothridis on 300 Native Greek Grapes and Oenopolis
- → Sparks #25: Joshua on small Champagne growers and your Champagne moment
- → All 8 Sparks episodes
Work together around Champagne
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