CHAMPAGNE WINES

Even without being a wine expert, who hasn’t heard of Champagne? The ultimate celebratory drink, champagne graces our tables at birthdays, romantic dinners, or Christmas feasts. Beyond its festive image, champagne is rooted in a unique history, expertise, and terroir. To learn more about the Champagne region through its history, appellations, grape varieties, and terroir, explore our guide and follow our tips for creating the best food and wine pairings with champagne or other regional wines.

THE HISTORY OF CHAMPAGNE

The history of Champagne vineyards begins in Roman times, but it wasn’t until the 17th century that the region started producing sparkling wines. Considered the father of champagne, Dom Pérignon, a monk from the Abbey of Hautvillers, significantly improved champagne production through blending and rapid grape pressing. Over three centuries passed before the méthode champenoise, as we know it today—with a second fermentation in the bottle—was established. This traditional method differs greatly from the ancestral method, which doesn’t re-ferment in the bottle and retains some natural sugar (like the AOC Clairette de Die, for example). In the 19th century, champagne’s renown extended far beyond France, becoming a worldwide symbol of luxury and celebration, thanks to major houses like Ruinart. After the phylloxera crisis and World War I, the devastated Champagne vineyards implemented a parcel delimitation system to protect their terroir and established the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) designation.

CLIMATES AND TERROIRS OF CHAMPAGNE

The Champagne vineyard is divided into four regions:

• Montagne de Reims: Stretching from Reims to Épernay, with chalk, sand, clay, and limestone soils, especially suited to Pinot Noir cultivation.
• Vallée de la Marne: Featuring clay-limestone soils favorable for Pinot Meunier.
• Côte des Blancs: Known for its exceptional Chardonnay. This region’s oceanic and continental climate, along with chalky, humid soils, adds great minerality to the area’s champagne.
• Côte des Bar: With a mild oceanic climate, more temperate than the rest of the region. Its unique terroir, with marl, clay, and limestone soils, gives this area a distinct identity.

THE DIFFERENT CHAMPAGNE APPELLATIONS

The Champagne region has three AOCs. Two are for still wines:

• AOC Coteaux Champenois (available in white, rosé, and red)
• AOC Rosé des Riceys (rosé)

For sparkling wines, which have stricter standards than other sparkling wine regions (like crémants), only one appellation is allowed: AOC Champagne. However, certain higher-tier terroirs are classified as Premier Cru for their quality and unique characteristics. Currently, there are 44 Premier Crus, including:

• Avenay-Val-d'Or
• Bergères-lès-Vertus
• Bezannes
• Billy-le-Grand
• Bisseuil
• Chamery
• Champillon
• Chigny-les-Roses
• Chouilly (for Pinot Noir)
• Coligny (Val-des-Marais) for Chardonnay
• Cormontreuil
• Coulommes-la-Montagne
• Cuis
• Cumières
• Dizy
• Écueil
• Etrechy for Chardonnay
• Grauves
• Hautvillers
• Jouy-lès-Reims
• Ludes
• Mareuil-sur-Ay
• Les Mesneux
• Montbré
• Mutigny
• Pargny-lès-Reims
• Pierry
• Rilly-la-Montagne
• Sacy
• Sermiers
• Taissy
• Tauxières
• Tours-sur-Marne for Chardonnay
• Trépail
• Trois-Puits
• Vaudemange
• Vertus
• Villedommange
• Villeneuve-Renneville
• Villers-Allerand
• Villers-aux-Nœuds
• Villers-Marmery
• Voipreux
• Vrigny

At the top of the Champagne appellation hierarchy, there are 17 Grands Crus, including:

• Ambonnay
• Aÿ
• Beaumont-sur-Vesle
• Bouzy
• Louvois
• Mailly-Champagne
• Puisieulx
• Sillery
• Tours-sur-Marne
• Verzenay
• Verzy
• Avize
• Chouilly
• Cramant
• Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
• Oger
• Oiry

CHAMPAGNE’S ICONIC GRAPE VARIETIES

Unlike most French vineyards, Champagne cultivates only three grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. These grapes may be used in blends or single varietals to produce champagne or still wines (non-sparkling) in white, red, or rosé.

Chardonnay

Although Chardonnay is known for producing great white wines and Burgundy’s most prestigious cuvées, it is also Champagne’s essential white grape. It can be blended with Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier to bring freshness and finesse to champagnes. When used alone, it’s called Blanc de Blancs champagne. On the nose, Chardonnay offers notes of citrus, white fruits, and white flowers like acacia. In the mouth, a predominantly Chardonnay champagne stands out for its elegance and freshness, making it ideal as an aperitif or with fish dishes. In some Premier Cru and Grand Cru champagnes, especially from the Côte des Blancs, Chardonnay reveals the terroir’s minerality and buttery, brioche notes.

Pinot Noir

In addition to being the star of Burgundy’s great red wines, Pinot Noir is also Champagne’s most widely planted grape. When not blended with Chardonnay and/or Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir produces Blanc de Noirs champagnes or rosé champagnes with a vinous and spicy profile. With aromas of red fruits, berries, and pepper, Pinot Noir is a charming grape that adds volume and power to blends and produces excellent aging champagnes when vinified alone. In Champagne’s still wines, Pinot Noir produces AOC Rosé des Riceys with almond and wild strawberry notes, as well as distinguished red wines in AOC Coteaux Champenois that rival their prestigious Burgundy neighbors.

Pinot Meunier

Pinot Meunier is a red grape typical of Champagne, often blended with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in champagne production. Although overshadowed by its two partners (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Pinot Meunier adds roundness and suppleness to champagne. With delicate notes of ripe apple, mirabelle, and dried fruits, Pinot Meunier brings a touch of indulgence and lightness to champagne. When vinified as a red, it offers smooth, easy-drinking wines with notes of currant and cherry, pleasant to drink young.

THE BEST FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS WITH CHAMPAGNE

Champagne with an Appetizer

If you want to toast with champagne, we recommend opening a bottle of AOC Champagne Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) as an aperitif. This will whet everyone’s appetite, and you don’t always need a dish to enjoy good champagne. For festive meals, why not pair caviar with an AOP vintage Champagne? The briny notes and creamy texture of caviar harmonize beautifully with the freshness and buttery notes of a vintage champagne. With oysters, however, opt for an undosed or extra brut champagne with a crisp, saline profile.

Champagne with a Main Course

If you’re serving cream and mushroom poultry, choose a Blanc de Noirs champagne from a 100% Pinot Noir AOP, ideally with some aging. With dried fruit, spice, and a hint of vanilla, as well as a powerful, vinous mouthfeel, it will pair wonderfully with the tender poultry and rich sauce flavors. A red AOC Coteaux Champenois wine, with cherry, peony, and pepper accents, will elevate all your red meat recipes.

Champagne with Dessert

Due to its high acidity, champagne isn’t the best match for desserts. However, if you choose a demi-sec champagne, which is sweeter and more indulgent, you can create a successful pairing. For a red fruit dessert, like raspberry macarons, choose a demi-sec rosé champagne. Its red currant and raspberry notes and fine bubbles will enhance your macarons. If you prefer less sweetness, go for an aged brut champagne with hazelnut notes and softened acidity to pair with a panettone or dried fruit.

As a global symbol of celebration, champagne is a unique wine for marking life’s major events. This region also offers excellent still red, white, and rosé wines worth exploring. At Avenue des vins, each cuvée is carefully selected, and your bottles are available for delivery directly from the domain or château of your choice. Whether you choose a Champagne cuvée or wines from other French regions, discover our best-priced bottles delivered to your home!