Jon Catt
Bugs & Bubbly!
We all know the traditional food pairings with Champagne. Arthur Lambert, a student at the Ecole de Design in Troyes, decided to use a still unusual one for a project but it’s not for the fainthearted. Les Champagnes de Vignerons had the idea for a competitive exam. They wanted a new promotional accessory for their…
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Champagne Baudry
Champagne Baudry in Neuville-sur-Seine is really a family affair. They’ve been grape growers since the 1660’s. Brothers , Armel and José, now run the business. I met Armel in their beautifully restored 400 year old house. The family has 20ha of vines in Neuville-sur-Seine and five surrounding villages. Armel noted that at the beginning of…
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A Complicated Year for Champagne
The last three months have been disastrous for the Champagne vineyards because of the awful weather. This will be a make or break week in the grape growers fight against mildew. Between mid-April and early May there were a succession of heavy frosts. The growers in the Côte des Bar were the most severely affected.…
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Champagne World Heritage Site Anniversary Celebration
On July 10th two Reconcilliation Walks will be held in the Champagne vineyards to mark the first anniversary of their inscription as a World Heritage Site. These will be the highlight of three days of events with the theme of reconcilliation. This event is organized by Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars. It was this group…
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The Fight for French Champagne
On May 31st at the inaugaration of the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux French President Francois Hollande defended his country’s AOC system for wines. This was in the context of the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Area , (TAFTA), negotiations with the United States. He said that France wouldn’t sacrifice it to get an agreement. Champagne has…
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Champagne Olivier Lassaigne
When you drive from Troyes to Montgueux you’ll see at the entry to the village a sign in the shape of a Champagne flute. The house I was going to visit is close to it and has a magnificent view out over Troyes. The Champagne makers of Montgueux are proud of the place’s rich history.…
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No Room for Grape Pickers in Champagne this Harvest
Champagne grapes must be picked by hand. 120,000 people come for the harvest each year, the largest number in France. This year could see a substantial loss of employment and an accommadation crisis because of an enforcement of a regulation in the French Rural Code. In 1995 a regulation was added to the code that…
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New Grape Varieties for Champagne
On April 12th the CIVC, Comité Champagne, in Epernay announced a 15 year programme to develop grape varieties for the future. Champagne makers face two main challenges in the following decades. In the worst case scenario temperatures could rise 4.5°C by 2100. There’s also the pressing need to develop vines that have a high resistance…
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A Champagne Too Many
If you’ve been to Ay this year you may have noticed that it is now named Ay-Champagne. Will it though keep this name for much longer? The French government decided to create even larger regions. Champagne-Ardenne has been joined with Alsace-Lorraine. The favourite for its name which will be chosen at the end of April…
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