Champagne

AOC since 1936 · traditional method

Champagne is the French AOC for sparkling wine made by second fermentation in the bottle within a delimited area of five departments in north-eastern France.¹ About 34,200 ha of vines grow across 319 crus (2024 data).² In 2025 the region shipped 266 million bottles.³

Grand Cru and Premier Cru communes

Grand Cru
Premier Cru

The place

The AOC was recognised by decree on 29 June 1936; the law defining its perimeter dates from 1927, and the European protected designation from 1992.^1,5,6 The area covers communes in the Aisne, Aube, Haute-Marne, Marne and Seine-et-Marne departments.¹ The Marne holds 66% of the vineyard, the Aube 23% and the Aisne 10%, split into about 280,000 plots of 0.12 ha or less on average.⁵

The climate has both continental and oceanic influences, with 1,901 hours of sunshine a year on average over ten years and a risk of spring frost. Vines grow at 150-200 m on an average slope of 12%.⁷ Limestone (chalk, marl and hard limestone) makes up 75% of the outcrops; chalk holds 300-400 litres of water per cubic metre.⁸ The "Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne" joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015.⁹

Grapes

Pinot Noir covers 38% of the vineyard, Chardonnay 31% and Meunier 31%; all others together 0.3%.⁴ Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Arbane, Petit Meslier and Chardonnay rose are also principal varieties.^1,4 Principal varieties must make up at least 95% of plantings and 90% of a blend. Voltis, admitted for climate adaptation, is capped at 5% of a holding and 10% of a blend and may not be used alone.¹

Main rules

The specification sets these limits:¹

Rule	Limit
Base yield	12,400 kg/ha
Yield ceiling	15,500 kg/ha
Pressing	102 L of must per 160 kg
Minimum ripeness	143 g/L sugar, 9% vol
Total alcohol	13% vol maximum
Harvest	whole bunches only
On the lees before disgorgement	12 months
Release, non-vintage	15 months from tirage
Release, vintage	36 months from tirage

Pruning is limited to a few authorised systems (Chablis, Cordon de Royat, Vallée de la Marne for Meunier, Guyot) with at most 18 buds per square metre.^1,10 A press load of 4,000 kg gives 20.5 hl of cuvée and then 5 hl of taille.^9,11 See pressing.

Sub-areas

Montagne de Reims: mostly Pinot Noir.⁵
Vallée de la Marne: Meunier in the west, Pinot Noir near Épernay.^5,8
Côte des Blancs: mainly Chardonnay.⁵
Côte de Sézanne: mainly Chardonnay.⁸
Côte des Bar: in the Aube, 83% Pinot Noir.⁵

Grand Cru villages

Seventeen communes, all in the Marne, may use "grand cru"; 42 more may use "premier cru" only.¹

Market

Shipments in 2025 were 266 million bottles, just under 2% below 2024: about 114 million in France and nearly 152 million abroad.³ In 2024 sales reached EUR 5.8 billion, and about 16,300 growers worked 90% of the vines.² The same 2024 figures count 390 Champagne houses, which ship more than two thirds of the volume, and 125 cooperatives.²

Draft changes, June 2026

This is a draft. On 18 June 2026 the INAO national committee approved an amendment for national opposition; it is not yet in force.¹²

Serelis and Orellis would join Voltis as adaptation varieties, with the same 5% and 10% caps.¹²
Vintage-labelled wine would be capped at 80% of the year's volume.¹²
The text states that irrigation is prohibited.¹²