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Revision of the geographical area of the Champagne AOC
Vines have been grown in Champagne for more than 2,000 years.
The region has a long tradition of producing still wines but turned increasingly toward
sparkling wine production from the early 18th Century onwards. The big change came in
1728 when Louis XV authorised the transport of Champagne wine in bottles. Enter the
first great Champagne Houses whose wines would conquer the world.
By the 19th Century Champagne was riding high and the total area under vine was more
than double what it is today (70,000 hectares compared with 33,542 hectares). Then
came phylloxera, the ravenous aphid that destroyed Europe’s vineyards from 1890-1920.
By the time the Champenois were ready to replant, using European vines grafted onto
American rootstock, World War I intervened and all replanting had to stop.
After the war, there were just 12,000 hectares of vineyards left in Champagne. What
followed was a period of reconstruction in the face of considerable commercial difficulties
(revolution in Russia, prohibition in the USA and the creation of monopolies). And the
Champenois won their fight for the first-ever legally defined appellation area, enshrined in
the law of 22 July 1927. To be included within the appellation area, villages had to have a
tradition of winemaking and be submitted for delimitation by the mayor.
The Great Depression of the 1930s followed by World War II then brought planting to a
standstill for another 25 years as winegrowers and Champagne Houses struggled to keep
their heads above water.
The CIVC was founded in 1941 to enforce the law of 1927 and appellation rules that
grew out of a concept born in 1935. By 1946, requests for revision of the Champagne
delimited area were being submitted to the INAO (part of the Ministry of Agriculture).
In 1984 the INAO became legally empowered to lay down technical guidelines for
revision – a tradition of inemaking was now no longer enough to justify inclusion in
AOC Champagne. The commune of Fontaine-sur-Ay was added in 1996 on the basis of
the new criteria.
In 2003 the Syndicat Général des Vignerons requested revision of the geographic area of
Champagne. The INAO appointed a committee of independent academic experts to
examine two of the zones specified in the AOC law: the Zone d'Elaboration (the area
where it is legal to vinify Champagne) and the Zone de Production (the area where AOC
vineyards may be planted).
In March 2008 the committee of experts presented their preliminary findings on the
proposed delimitation changes. Their report was submitted to a public inquiry and a
national approvals process that continued from April to June 2008.
The final report plus any objections to the proposed revision are currently under
consideration by the Council of State. The likelihood is that it will ratify the first stage
proposals by early 2009, so giving the go ahead for the final stage, expected to take 4-5
years: revision of the ‘zone parcellaire’, that fraction of the Zone de Production where
AOC Champagne vineyards may be planted.
The first new plots to be planted are likely to be authorized around 2015, allowing
Champagne to pursue its plans for gradual expansion.
Revision of the delimited Champagne production area
Questions and Answers
Isn’t the proposed revision of the Champagne AOC simply based on greed – the desire to
produce more?
It’s a fact that world demand has increased and that the consumer could well end up paying
much more for Champagne as a result.
Particularly since Champagne production accounts for an ever smaller share of the sparkling wine
market – currently just 12 per cent.
The Champagne production area was defined by the law of 1927, based on historic criteria.
Other provisions followed, disputes arose and lawsuits ensued. The definition of a new, unique
and transparent legal framework was a necessity. The issue was reviewed in 2003, looking to
revise the Champagne AOC in line with technical and historic criteria that would guarantee
optimal levels of quality.
What is the delimited Champagne area?
The area comprises 634 communes, divided into two zones: The Zone d'Elaboration and the
Zone de Production.
The Zone d'Elaboration covers all of the communes where it is legal to vinify Champagne. The
wines must be bottled and packaged for consumption before they leave this zone. The production
of sparkling wines other than Champagne is of course forbidden throughout the Zone
d’Elaboration.
Within the Zone d'Elaboration is the Zone de Production, an inner area currently consisting of
319 communes. Within these communes are approximately 300,000 specific plots where
Champagne AOC vineyards may be planted (35.208 hectares in all).
Who is in charge of the revision and who are the members of the committee of experts?
The revision of all French appellations is the responsibility of the Institut National de l’Origine et
de la Qualité (INAO), a state agency under the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture.
A Board of Inquiry consisting of members of the INAO was set up in 2004.
The INAO then appointed a committee of experts in five disciplines (history, geography,
geology, agronomy and phytosociology) to define criteria and submit proposals for the revision of
the Champagne AOC.
When will the new geographical area receive final approval?
The National Committee of the INAO has accepted the experts’ preliminary findings and a
public inquiry and opposition and appeal procedures at national level are now underway. The
committee of experts will consider any objections and draw up a final report. It will be early 2009
before the new geographical area specifying the list of communes in the Zone d’Elaboration and
the Zone de Production receives final approval from the National Committee of INAO
mentioned above.
The next stage will be a revision at vineyard level, evaluating each commune in the Zone de
Production to determine which plots might be suitable for viticulture. This second stage is set to
continue until at least 2015.
What criteria apply to the exclusion or inclusion of a commune within the Zone de Prodcution?
To begin with, the commune must fall within the Zone d’Elaboration. This presumes a link with
the historical Champagne area and a tradition of viticulture. To be included in the Zone de
Production, the commune must also belong within one of the large geomorphological systems
that support viticulture, and represent the best possible combination of favourable environmental
characteristics. These include vineyards that are sufficiently developed for practical use (in terms
of slope, angle of slope and scale), exposures favouring ideal levels of sunshine, limestone soils and
sub-soils or those containing a significant proportion of limestone, good drainage and a sufficient
water supply.
Will some plots be declassified?
Each commune in the new Zone de Production will be evaluated on a plot-by-plot basis,
approving only those plots that meet the experts’ predefined criteria for delimitation, and
excluding any plots that fail to meet those criteria, whether or not they are currently under vine.
When the time comes, the experts’ findings will go before a public inquiry held by the INAO to
hear any objections to the revised delimited area.
How many extra hectares are likely to be added by the revised delimitation?
It is impossible to estimate the scale of the expansion until we know the findings of the expert
committee, But bearing in mind the technical requirements, it is unlikely that the new
Champagne production area will match the 75,000 hectares that were under vine in the 18th and
19th Centuries.
What will be the impact on the price of land?
The extra area arising from the expansion will be held in reserve for future planting, which may
take pressure off the current price of AOC Champagne land. That said, the price does depend on
other factors, such as demand and the performance of the Champagne market, especially exports.
Might the revision lead to a drop in price per bottle?
The revision will not lead to a sudden, massive increase in the area under vine. New plots
authorized for planting, in line with policy over the past 60 years, are not expected to exceed 1-
2% of the current area under vine, so as to avoid two unwanted repercussions:
1. Destabilizing the market for Champagne by suddenly opening up its boundaries to include a
huge number of new plots.
2. Undermining the quality of Champagne by allowing in a huge proportion of grapes from
young vines (it is well known that adult vines, aged at least 7/8 years, produce better grapes).
Won’t the revision lead to an overall drop in quality?
Far from it. At issue here is a meticulous revision of terroir that attaches particular importance to
technical criteria. Its whole purpose is to safeguard the uniqueness of Champagne wine and
improve the average quality of production. The experts have already signalled their commitment
to a quality-driven review process by excluding two villages from the Zone de Production.
What about compensation for declassified producers?
There is talk of a compensation scheme which would maintain the right to plant and allow the
use of existing vine plantings that have yet to come on stream; plus the ‘tolerated’ production of
AOC Champagne (for a duration yet to be specified).
When will the very first, post-revision wines hit the shelves?
It’s hard to say how long the whole process will take; but assuming the second stage (revision at
vineyard level) is completed by 2015, the very first, post-revision wines should hit the shelves
around 2020.
Document CIVC, 11 June 2008
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