Champagne Grape Varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Meunier, Shares and Roles

Share of the Champagne vineyard by variety% of area under vine¹

The varieties at a glance

Variety	Berry	Share of the vineyard	Where it leads	What it brings (Comité Champagne)
Pinot Noir	black	38%	Montagne de Reims, Côte des Bar	body, punch and structure; red fruit
Chardonnay	white	31%	Côte des Blancs	freshness; floral and citrus notes; suited to ageing
Meunier	black	31%	Vallée de la Marne	roundness and yellow fruit; ages faster
Pinot Blanc	white	within 0.3%		full-bodied wines
Pinot Gris	grey	within 0.3%		smoky, nutty notes
Arbane	white	within 0.3%		floral and fruity notes
Petit Meslier	white	within 0.3%		smoky and citrus notes
Chardonnay Rose	pink	within 0.3%		close to Chardonnay, sometimes fruitier

Shares and descriptions are those published by Comité Champagne, which gives no reference year for the percentages.¹

Three main grapes

Pinot Noir dominates the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Bar. Chardonnay is the leading variety of the Côte des Blancs, where it suits the chalk outcrops. Meunier buds later, so it resists spring frost better and tolerates the clayier soils of the Vallée de la Marne.¹

Only one of the three is white. The juice of the black grapes is also white, so a white Champagne can be made from Pinot Noir and Meunier: that is a blanc de noirs, while a wine from white grapes only is a blanc de blancs.¹

Five minor varieties

Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay Rose may together account for only 0.3% of the area under vine.¹ Comité Champagne lists Chardonnay Rose as authorised in 2025.¹

Voltis

Voltis is a disease-resistant white variety admitted as a variety of interest for adaptation. It is limited to 5% of a holding's plantings and 10% of a blend.² See Voltis.

Rosé and young vines

Rosé Champagne is made either by maceration of black grapes or by blending in red still wine from the appellation; see rosé.¹ Grapes for the appellation may only come from vines in their third leaf, two years after planting.¹

Questions and answers

What grapes is Champagne made from?

Mainly Pinot Noir (38% of the vineyard), Chardonnay (31%) and Meunier (31%); five minor varieties together make up 0.3%.¹

Can white Champagne be made from black grapes?

Yes: the juice of Pinot Noir and Meunier is white; such a wine is a blanc de noirs.¹

How many grape varieties are allowed in Champagne?

Comité Champagne lists eight: three main and five minor ones, including Chardonnay Rose authorised in 2025. Voltis is admitted separately as a variety for adaptation, within 5% of plantings and 10% of a blend.^1,2

Champagne grape varieties