🍷 Champagne

Champagne is a sparkling wine from the French region of Champagne, whose name has been protected in the EU as a designation of origin since 1973. The boundaries of the area were set by a law of 6 May 1919: the departments of Marne, Aube, Aisne, Haute-Marne and Seine-et-Marne. No other sparkling wine may be called Champagne.

The rules are strict. The bubbles come only from a second fermentation in a glass bottle, and the wine is sold in the same bottle in which it took place; the exceptions are bottles smaller than 0.375 L or larger than 3 L. At least 15 months have to pass between bottling for the second fermentation and sale, and 36 for vintage wine. Grapes are picked only as whole bunches, that is, by hand.

Seven grapes are allowed: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and the rare Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. Since the early 20th century the first three have dominated. The yield is limited to 10,400 kg per hectare. According to the Comité Champagne, 266.1 million bottles were shipped in 2025.

History. According to the Comité Champagne, vines grew in the region as early as the 1st century, and after the coronations of French kings in Reims its wine was called «the wine of kings». In 1668 Dom Pierre Pérignon at Hautvillers Abbey began blending wines from different plots with care — he did not «invent» champagne but improved the blend. In the late 17th century the region learned gentle pressing to make white wine from black grapes; corks arrived in 1685, and a thicker bottle that held the gas in 1770.

From craft to law. Around 1800 riddling racks were invented to gather the sediment in the neck; in 1837 the pharmacist Jean-Baptiste François found a way to dose sugar accurately, so fewer bottles burst; and in 1884 Armand Walfard introduced disgorging with a frozen neck. After phylloxera, growers and houses together replanted the vines on American rootstocks in 1898. In 1887 a court in Angers reserved the name for wine from Champagne, and in 1936 the AOC was recognised.

Champagne in figures. According to the Comité Champagne, in 2025 the vineyards covered 34,200 ha in 319 villages, worked by 16,460 growers, 120 cooperatives and 410 houses. Grapes: Pinot Noir 38%, Chardonnay 32%, Meunier 30%. Exports took 57.1% of bottles; the largest markets are the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. Revenue was €5.7 billion — 8% of world sparkling wine consumption by volume and 31% by value.

How to read the label. The word Champagne appears without «AOC». The code next to the number shows the producer: RM — a grower using their own vines, NM — a merchant house, CM — a cooperative; RC, ND and MA are other categories. Style: blanc de blancs — from white grapes, blanc de noirs — from black, rosé. Dosage: brut nature up to 3 g/l, extra brut up to 6, brut up to 12, then extra-dry, sec, demi-sec and doux above 50 g/l. Ingredients and nutrition per 100 ml may be given by QR code.

A 100 g serving of sparkling wine contains about 75 kcal and 9.5 g of alcohol. According to the WHO, there is no safe level of alcohol.

Champagne or prosecco? Sparkling wine is the category; Champagne is the protected name of wine from the Champagne region alone: the bubbles come from a second fermentation in the bottle in which it is sold, and ageing lasts at least 15 months. Prosecco, cava and sparkling wines from other countries are separate wines with their own names and rules, so they may look alike but are not champagne. Since 1 January 2026 Ukrainian wines may not use the name either.

Look for the word Champagne on the label: it is itself the protected designation (PDO), with no «AOC» beside it. Next to the number is the producer code: RM — a grower using their own vines, NM — a merchant house, CM — a cooperative. «Sparkling wine» without the word Champagne does not prove the origin. You will find it in wine shops, the wine aisle of a supermarket or duty-free stores.

Why it matters to you. Champagne is sold already aged and ready to drink, but it can be kept for a few more years at a steady 10–15 °C, in the dark. Serve it at 8–10 °C. Since 1 January 2026, Ukrainian wines may not be called "champagne". And a spoon in the neck of an open bottle does not keep the bubbles; a proper stopper is better.