The Champagne Region of France
Every great wine in the world involves far more than just the variety of grapes from which it originates.
Consequently, although this may sound somewhat preposterous at first, there is no true Champagne other than the one made in the Champagne region of France that gave the wine its name.
This is part of the very nature of wine making itself.
There are, in fact, many distinctive conditions which give a wine its personality and quality.
They are related to the soil, the climate and the geography of the region where the wine is produced, as well as to the experience and know-how of generations of wine-makers.
The French use the word "terroir" (literally from the earth) to designate this combination of conditions.
The term refers altogether to the soil, the climate, the vineyards and the labor that men put into growing and making the wine.
A terroir is therefore a particular area with a human and cultural dimension along with its physical and geographical characteristics.
Though such a notion might sound a little abstract and poetical, it is definitely practical and down to earth when seen from the perspective of a centuries old craft with nature.
There are 17 terroirs in the Champagne region, based on geographic and historical criteria.
They are spread over 5 distinct production areas: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des blancs, Côte de Sézanne and Vignoble de l'Aube.
In order to avoid further appellation disputes, these delimitations were eventually fixed by a French government law on July 22, 1927.
To ensure the integrity and the distinctive qualities of their regional wines, France and many other wine-growing countries have developed an official labeling system.
In France it is called the "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (AOC), which translates to "controlled designation of origin".
In simple terms, the AOC sets a standard defining what is allowed and not allowed in the process of making a given wine.
Wine producers must comply with these rules and regulations to be granted the permission to label their products.
Over the last century, France has gradually instituted one of the world's most comprehensive sets of laws to protect its AOC labels, always seeking to have quality take precedence over quantity.
For the Champagne region of France in particular, this control concerns even the smallest details regarding the grape-growing, harvesting, pressing procedures and, of course, the making and the aging of the wines.
Besides, the wines must come exclusively from the area's vineyards, which cover 34,000 hectares (a little more than 84,000 acres), and be transformed on site, in premises dedicated solely to Champagne wines.
The AOC is therefore essential.
By fixing the natural framework and the techniques to be followed in order for a wine to deserve the "Champagne" label distinction, it allows for the rigorous and scientific control of all aspects of the Champagne production at large.
This, in turn, insures that the quality of the wines is always up to par - and possibly improving - in all the 319 vineyards of the region.
Consequently, although this may sound somewhat preposterous at first, there is no true Champagne other than the one made in the Champagne region of France that gave the wine its name.
This is part of the very nature of wine making itself.
There are, in fact, many distinctive conditions which give a wine its personality and quality.
They are related to the soil, the climate and the geography of the region where the wine is produced, as well as to the experience and know-how of generations of wine-makers.
The French use the word "terroir" (literally from the earth) to designate this combination of conditions.
The term refers altogether to the soil, the climate, the vineyards and the labor that men put into growing and making the wine.
A terroir is therefore a particular area with a human and cultural dimension along with its physical and geographical characteristics.
Though such a notion might sound a little abstract and poetical, it is definitely practical and down to earth when seen from the perspective of a centuries old craft with nature.
There are 17 terroirs in the Champagne region, based on geographic and historical criteria.
They are spread over 5 distinct production areas: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des blancs, Côte de Sézanne and Vignoble de l'Aube.
In order to avoid further appellation disputes, these delimitations were eventually fixed by a French government law on July 22, 1927.
To ensure the integrity and the distinctive qualities of their regional wines, France and many other wine-growing countries have developed an official labeling system.
In France it is called the "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (AOC), which translates to "controlled designation of origin".
In simple terms, the AOC sets a standard defining what is allowed and not allowed in the process of making a given wine.
Wine producers must comply with these rules and regulations to be granted the permission to label their products.
Over the last century, France has gradually instituted one of the world's most comprehensive sets of laws to protect its AOC labels, always seeking to have quality take precedence over quantity.
For the Champagne region of France in particular, this control concerns even the smallest details regarding the grape-growing, harvesting, pressing procedures and, of course, the making and the aging of the wines.
Besides, the wines must come exclusively from the area's vineyards, which cover 34,000 hectares (a little more than 84,000 acres), and be transformed on site, in premises dedicated solely to Champagne wines.
The AOC is therefore essential.
By fixing the natural framework and the techniques to be followed in order for a wine to deserve the "Champagne" label distinction, it allows for the rigorous and scientific control of all aspects of the Champagne production at large.
This, in turn, insures that the quality of the wines is always up to par - and possibly improving - in all the 319 vineyards of the region.
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