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The Champagne wine region, which is around 100km from Paris, is an historical province in the North East of France and is best
known for its production of the sparkling wine that is called 'champagne' after the name of the region in which it is grown.
The name 'Champagne', is derived from the Latin word campagna, meaning countryside. It is an area rich in history, with some of the most spectacular scenery in France. The region is dominated by lakes, rivers, canals, forests. There are huge preserves and parks, and the vineyards stretch for miles. Agriculture Champagne's soil is mainly chalk, and the region's topography is principally that of a plateau. Over 60% of the land in the region
is dedicated to agriculture. Champagne region is the largest region in France for barley and alfalfa production. It is the second
largest region for the production of beets, onions, and peas and third for the production of tender wheat and rapeseed.
The region is also known for raising sheep, wool manufacturing and cheese. But, it is best known for champagne and other wines, which constitutes the region's main industry. Cheese Here is some of the top cheeses produced in the region:
Cuisine The region serves such hearty dishes as andouillette Troyes (a tripe sausage) and potée champenoise.
The latter is a pôte-au-feu consisting of smoked ham, from the Ardennes, cabbage and sausage. The region is
abundant in wild game, which lends to many specialty dishes. Local ingredients also contribute to many fish and seafood dishes.
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Wine The wine production area makes up about 3% of the total area planted to vines in France, and is strictly defined
in accordance with the law. There are 4 departments in the Champagne region, which are the Ardennes, Aube, Haute-Marne
and Marne.
The kings of France crowned in Reims always had champagne flowing, even as early as 898 AD. Champagne was also used as a gift for any visiting monarchs to the area, such as Mary Stuart (Mary Queen of Scots). Through the centuries, even up until today, champagne wines have always featured prominently on the wine lists at royal marriages, and even more people than ever including the average person, will choose champagne when celebrating significant events, such as births, marriages or birthday. Champagne has been adopted for almost every celebratory occasion, as you may well have noticed with the likes of Formula One racing, right through to the Olympics and virtually every other sport you can think of. There are 3 main grapes grown in the Champagne region that include Chardonnay, which can be found in the Cote des Blancs area, Pinot Noir, which is found mainly in the Aube area, but also in Montagne and Reims, whilst the Vasllee de la Marne area is mainly comprised of Pinot Meunier grapes. With over 30,000 hectares of champagne vineyards, they stretch over rolling hillsides and valleys, stretching as far as the eye can see, only interrupted by the pretty little villages dotted around every so often that you will be able to experience while you are on your holidays in France. With over 320 million bottles of champagne being sold in one year alone, which is also increasing every year, the demand will eventually outstrip supply unless they decide to change the law stating what areas and communes are allowed to produce the bubbly we have all come to adore. The only specific grapes grown in a set area of around 34,000 hectares can legally be defined as champagne according to an old French law and the Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité determines exactly how much each vineyard can produce. But because of the growing demand, they are asking wineries to set aside some of their yield when they have a good harvest, so that we, as the consumer, will never have to go without. Within the Champagne-Ardenne region, which is the only area in the world that produces champagne, you will find that champagne is incorporated whenever possible, whether it is accompanying the meal or even used in the meal itself, as it has become a very important part of the region's culinary tradition. Scientists from the University of Seville, Spain, have developed a method of finger-printing champagne, cava, and other wines to prevent cheaper products being passed off as the more expensive varieties. A recent article in New Scientist magazine said that tests were 100 per cent accurate in determining which of 35 samples were cava and which were champagne. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used to measure the concentrations of 16 trace metals in the champagne and cava. The results showed that nine of these could be used to give the wines a unique fingerprint that was different in the case of cava and champagne. |
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