Let’s establish a quick fact first.
A bottle of bubbly known as champagne comes from one place, and one place only: Champagne, France. It’s nestled in the country’s northeastern corner, about 100 miles from Paris, and is filled with vineyards and tradition that date back centuries. Only sparkling wine grown, fermented, and bottled here can legally bare the name, champagne. Labels and name mean aa great deal – especially if you are trying (as the French do) to protect a coveted product and the method of making it – so let’s define a key term.
The process of making Champagne, called méthode champenoise, is increasingly a term restricted to the Champagne region exclusively. The process elsewhere uses the term “traditional method” (méthode traditionnelle) or the local language equivalent (método tradicional in Spain and Portugal, metodo classico or metodo tradizionale in Italy, and in Germany, klassische Flaschengärung). South African wines from the Western Cape are labelled with the term Methode Cap Classique.
Avid Vines Importer; Andre TIXIER & Fils, Premier Cru Owner/Grower
Chigny les Roses, in the heart of the region, is where you’ll find Julien Tixier, winemaker for André TIXIER & Fils, waiting to show you the subterranean caves where he crafts a magical wonder at his precious jewel of a micro-house, named after his great-grandfather, Andre Tixier.
Pampered and produced with hard-won certifications in environmentally sustainable farming and climate stewardship, the entire range comes from 100% first growth fruit making a discovery such as this the reason why we chase the Champagne dragon! Plan now and let us know when you can visit where the bottles rest and the glasses of bubbles await!
Want to feel like you are in the vineyard picking the grapes? Enjoy the video below of the 2019 harvest.
If you can’t make it here yourself to enjoy the product from this very special corner of the world, AVID Vines is thrilled to bring the bubbles to you!
Geography and Growing Conditions
Two factors combine to make the three specific grapes of champagne grow well in the region. First, the region is slightly cooler than other grape-growing regions of France due to a jet stream of wind called Le Mistral that begins in Siberia and gains speed as it races down into France. Second, a series of large earthquakes thousands of years ago resulted in earth movements that exposed soil and rock layer formations with the right acidity level for the growth of grapes. An evolutionary quirk in the planet’s development – et voilà – we have the perfect place for champagne to become a reality.
Prelude to a Sip
The Romans planted the first vineyards in Champagne as early as 400 A.D. At the time, the wine was red, still, and in stiff competition with the wine produced in Burgundy. The rivalry lasted 130 years and at times came close to civil war (they had no football/soccer teams as proxies to crown as champions). However, the wine from Champagne became the preference of kings as many were crowned in the region at Reims Cathedral, and the local wine flowed during those coronation celebrations.
Accidental Bubbles
Eventually, producers in Champagne stopped the battle with Burgundy when bubbles unintentionally appeared during the shipping from France to England in the 1600s. The wine fermented twice rather than once, and the sparkling wine exploded, in some cases, literally! The French producers were not pleased, but the English were intrigued and demand for sparkling wine grew.
Naming Rights
By the 1700s, all of Europe embraced the champagne bubbles, and the Treaty of Madrid in 1891 established the region’s legal right over the use of the name. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 later reaffirmed that right. The European Union now protects the exclusivity of the term, champagne.
Experiencing Champagne: Champagne to Experience
Fast-forward to today. The region’s picturesque landscape is covered in rolling hills and plains that span 83,000 acres and 319 villages and produces an average of one million bottles of champagne a day for a thirsty world.
The commercial centers of the region are Reims, featuring the larger vineyards, and Épernay, where you can find the smaller champagne houses and cellars. A visit there will take you along miles of walking and cycling trails to view the magnificent countryside, tour the vineyards, quench your thirst for champagne knowledge, and sample the bubbles. 