Written by Marie Servagnat on October the 29 th 2013
"Bud of May fills the cellar" says the winegrower's diction, and while waiting for May, the month when everyone does what they want, I thought to myself that we could talk about winegrowers' champagnes.
Because champagne does not always have the same origin, and as you know, the label of a bottle of champagne gives this information. The mention: RM: Harvesting manipulating, is the benchmark of champagnes called champagne from winegrowers. This appellation brings together all of the some 5,000 winegrowers. The latter develop and sell their House cuvées. These winegrowers' champagnes are produced by the grapes of the Champagne House, which vinifies its own grapes within a limit set at 15,500 kilos / ha.
Winegrowers = diversity
Seeking to discover the Champagnes de Vignerons, giving oneself the opportunity to select a few houses is not inaccessible to ordinary people and even less to small wallets. This champagne appellation also represents a considerable market on the hard bubble market.
Champagnes Vignerons: the vines in summer Champagne winegrowers sell around a third of total sales of champagne bottles and make a percentage close to fifty of sales made in France. For export, that's another story, but these champagnes on a human scale have passed the 10% mark at the latest figures.
"Les Champagnes de Vignerons" is a collective spirit in the same way as a brand, which has combined winegrowers and winegrower companies since 2001 under the initiative of the Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne. The objective of this identity reflects the deep desire to guarantee the image and bring together the players in champagne to highlight their specific characteristics. The strength of this initiative is also the protection of knowledge, Tradition and the concern to preserve the great values of their passion and profession. The values are also the origins, and champagne is divided into four appellations: the Côte des Blancs, the Marne Valley, the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Bar.
These winegrowers know-how is therefore most often transmitted in a family scheme, where the brand authenticates, whose banner “Les Champagnes de Vignerons” is stipulated endorses the vineyard brands and guarantees that it is a Champagne from vines cultivated by the winegrower himself and produced by the winegrower on his estate or within a company of winegrowers.
Champagne wines from winegrowers have the AOC “Champagne”, which also meets very specific conditions such as the delimited geographical area, the three authorized grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier, a defined size of the vines, a harvest and pressing subject to precise rules.
These Champagnes de Vignerons are sometimes referenced in large distributions or in wine merchants, but due to their size and production, three quarters of them are sold to the producer, and around 10% to wine merchants, the rest being either distributed by champagne e-cellars or in traditional distribution systems.
For instance, here are a few champagnes from winegrowers regulated by region:
In the Marne Valley, Dehu Père & Fils, Du Rédempteur, André Roger, Dourdon Vieillard, Gabriel Pagin Fils, Thiercelin, Janisson Baradon et Fils, Maurice Grumier.
On the Côte des Bar, the champagnes R. Dumont & Fils, Daubanton & fils, Rémy Massin et Fils.
On the Côte des Blancs, the champagnes Colin, Alain Bergère, Sanchez Collard, Michel Gonet, Nominé Renard.
On the Montagne de Reims, Louis Dousset, Bourdaire Gallois and Froment Griffon champagnes.
To discover champagnes and winegrowers, I advise you to visit the site of the brand Les Champagnes de Vignerons, or the site of Terre et Vins de Champagne (which currently brings together 17 winegrowers driven by the same passion) whose excellent winegrower Francis Boulard is one of these wonderful enthusiasts.
Finally, if you do not go to the mother region of our favorite elixir to discover several Houses and make a purchase of champagne from winegrowers, there are boxes of several bottles of winegrowers in order to take pleasure in tasting and comparing, to consume always. with moderation !
