Union des Maisons de Champagne - Grandes Marques & Maisons de Champagne

Since 1882 the UMC has brought together all of the Grandes Marques brands and Champagne Houses that collectively underpin the worldwide reputation of Champagne wines. This website is specifically designed to teach you everything you need to know about their history and organization, their expertise and their ever-innovative ambitions.

April

Higher temperatures and light intensity trigger the sap to flow anew in the vine. The first buds emerge, covered with a downy coating called bourre, then swell and eventually flower. Bud-burst has arrived!

The year’s fruit-bearing canes are tied up by hand to regulate the growth of the vine.

The Champagne month by month

Did you know?

Seven grape cultivars, or grape varieties, are used to make Champagne wines. Of these the three main varieties are the Pinot Noir (38% of plantings), Pinot Meunier (32%) and the Chardonay (30%). The four other approved cultivars are the Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc – together less than 0.3% of plantings.

Philipponnat

For five generations, the village of Aÿ has been home to successive generations of the Philipponnat family. First they were growers and purveyors of wine to the court of Louis XIV. Then they became Champagne producers. In 1997 Philipponnat joined the Lanson-BCC group of family-driven Champagne brands.

The Champagne Houses