Arbane

VIVC 554 · white

Arbane is a white-berried French grape listed among the principal varieties of the Champagne appellation.1,2 It is one of the minor varieties that together cover 0.3% of the Champagne vineyard.3

Identity in VIVC

VIVC lists Arbane under number 554, with white berries and France as the country of origin.1 The passport gives no pedigree. It lists 12 synonyms, mostly spelling variants: Albane, Arbane Blanc, Arbane du Bachet, Arbanne, Arbenne, Arbonne, Darbanne, as well as Crene.1

VIVC is maintained by JKI Geilweilerhof and identifies each variety by a prime name and a variety number.1

In Champagne

The Champagne cahier des charges names "Arbane B" among its principal varieties, alongside Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Petit Meslier.2 Comité Champagne does not give a separate area for Arbane: it reports that all varieties other than the main three account for 0.3% of the area under vine.3 No other sparkling appellation in the research for this page lists Arbane.

The rules have no separate category for these rare grapes: they sit on the same list of principal varieties as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. The letter B after the name is the colour code for white (blanc), as N marks a black grape in "Meunier N".2

See also

Petit MeslierGrapesPinot BlancGrapesChampagneRegionsCôte des BarRegionsChardonnayGrapes

Sources

  1. Vitis International Variety Catalogue (JKI Geilweilerhof). VIVC passport data: ARBANE (variety number 554)
  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. Comité Champagne (champagne.fr). Champagne and its grape varieties

Facts checked on 2026-10-19