Viticultural and oenological research goes back to 1898 when twenty-three Champagne Houses created the AVC with a view to fighting a minuscule yellow aphid, which had started to invade the vineyards of Champagne: phylloxera. Thanks to the AVC, remedies were found. With this brilliant achievement as its foundation, the association was then progressively equipped with the most advanced technical means, allowing risk simulations, harvest estimates, work in networks, quality analyses etc.
      In 1941, the legislator regulated the relations established between the Vine-growers and the Champagne Houses with the creation of the "Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne" (Inter-professional Committee for the wines of Champagne). This was legally responsible for the defence and promotion of the Champagne appellation of origin.
      Both the personnel and the assets of the AVC were transferred to the CIVC. Researchers and technicians now work in an autonomous site at Épernay, the ITC (Champagne Technical Institute). All of the viti-vinicultural research devoted to the wines of Champagne and achieved by a variety of organisations (OIV - French International Office for Vines and Wines, INRA - National Institute for Agronomic Research etc…) brought together at the ITC.
      Managed in equally by the Vine-growers and the Champagne Houses, the AVC is still today a body for reflection (for both middle and long term), essential to the continuing qualitative progress, which enables Champagne to remain the King of wines.

The defence of the Champagne appellation, historically conducted by the Great Brands of Champagne, was continued by the CIVC in all the countries of the world in synergy with the operational activities undertaken by each House. It gives rise to numerous interventions and sometimes even legal procedures. These aim to progressively make the world admit that "Champagne" is the proper name for wines produced in the Champagne region and therefore, can neither be used nor associated with any other product, even though it may have a similar appearance or an equivalent prestige.

      The enhancement of the value of Champagne is achieved by the CIVC with information for consumers throughout the world about its specific characteristics: soil, sub-soil, climate, grape-varieties and a whole collection of complementary elements, which unite in order to allow the Vine-growers and Champagne Houses to elaborate their exceptional blends. These actions both accompany and complement those achieved by the Brands, which have the advantage of credibility, strengthened by an active and uninterrupted presence for over a century.
      The CIVC represents a discussion body for the Vine-growers and the Champagne Houses. This enables them to confer the statutory authority, which applies to everybody, on all of their general interest decisions (approved by the Regional Prefect, representing the State). Their application in accordance with these decisions is strictly controlled by various official departments: INAO (National Institute for Appellations of Origin), Customs, the Fraud Squad etc.

of the AVC Technical information destined for Vine-growers and Houses (Viticultural and oenological research)		of the CIVC Public information about the characteristics of the wines of Champagne
17 rue Jean Moët - 51200 Épernay		5 rue Henri Martin - 51200 Épernay

The successive Presidents were :

Avant 1898 les Grandes Marques & Maisons de champagne ont organisé seules durant des décades la défense de l'appellation "Champagne"dans le Monde, sauvegardant ainsi l'utilisation possible de ce mot aux vins élaborés en Champagne.

Other Personalities of Champagne