cépages de Champagne

French · grape varieties of Champagne

The AOC Champagne specification lists seven grape varieties: Arbane, Chardonnay, Meunier, Petit meslier, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris and Pinot noir, plus Voltis as a variety of interest for adaptation.1

The varieties

Why it matters

The specification allows white wines made only from white grapes, blanc de blancs, and only from black grapes, blanc de noirs.2 On EU sparkling wine labels, "pinot" may stand for Pinot blanc, noir, meunier or gris.3

Champagne grapes are pressed as whole bunches, in units of 4,000 kg called a marc.4,5,6

See also

ChampagneRegionsChardonnayGrapesPinot NoirGrapesMeunierGrapesVoltisGrapesBlanc de blancsStylesBlanc de noirsStyles

Sources

  1. Cahier des charges de l'AOC Champagne (homologated by arrêté of 30 Nov 2022; draft modification after INAO committee of 7 Sept 2023) (2023-09-07)
  2. Cahier des charges de l'AOP « Champagne » - modifications approved by the INAO national committee on 11 September 2024 (national opposition procedure text) (2024-09-11)
  3. EUR-Lex. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (consolidated text), Articles 47, 48, 49, 53, 54 and Annex III Part A (2023-12-08)
  4. Comité Champagne (champagne.education). Fiche Élaboration du Champagne (FR) (2024-05)
  5. Comité Champagne (champagne.education). Factsheet: Champagne making process (EN) (2024-05)
  6. Union des Maisons de Champagne. Pressing

Facts checked on 2026-10-19