Celebrating Champagne’s UNESCO 10th Anniversary with 10 Lesser-Known Facts You Need to Know

July 4 2025, marks the 10th anniversary of Champagne’s inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage site, a prestigious recognition of the region’s unique cultural and historical significance. In celebration of this milestone, the Champagne Bureau UK is sharing ten facts you may not know about Champagne that highlight the craftsmanship and history behind the pinnacle of sparkling wine.

From the ageing requirements to the intricate blending process, these facts reveal why Champagne continues to be a symbol of excellence:

Ageing Requirements: Many don’t realise that Champagne is required by law to be aged on lees for a minimum of 15 months for a non-vintage and a minimum of 36 months for a vintage. This is a key element that sets it apart from many other sparkling wines, as it has some of the tightest and strictest regulations in the world of wine. Many producers choose to age their wines for longer to achieve peak quality.

The Second Fermentation: Champagne undergoes a second fermentation process inside the bottle, which is what gives it its signature effervescence. This intricate process is known as the ‘Traditional Method’.

Blending is an Art: Champagne producers carefully blend different base wines before the second fermentation in the bottle, to ensure consistency and quality. This can be achieved by blending different grape varieties depending on the style they want to achieve, for non-vintage Champagne it would be blending wines from different years, or blending wines from different villages (known as crus).

The Riddling Process: To remove the sediment created during the second fermentation, Champagne bottles are rotated and tilted in a process called riddling. This ensures the wine remains clear and free of any unwanted particles. Riddling is seen as a mark of craftsmanship and tradition – larger bottles are usually riddled by hand, involving a specialist called a “remueur” who can turn approximately. 7,000 bottles per hour, averaging 50,000 bottles per day with precise wrist movements!

The Importance of ‘Dosage’: After disgorging, Champagne is topped up with a small amount of sugar solution known as ‘dosage’. The amount of sugar per litre determines whether a Champagne is Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-Sec or Doux, influencing its overall taste.

The Mystery of ‘Cork Pop’: Unlike other wines, Champagne corks are held in place by a wire cage, or ‘muselet’, to prevent them from popping off due to the high pressure inside the bottle. This pressure is equivalent to about three times the pressure in a car tyre!

Grape varieties: there are seven grape varieties in Champagne. The three most common main grape varieties used in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier, each bringing their own distinct characteristics. The four other lesser known varieties that are permitted in Champagne are Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris (all white grapes) – these account for less than 0.4% of the Champagne vineyard.

Cellar Conditions Matter: Champagne is stored in cool, dark cellars for months or even years, where the constant temperature and humidity help in developing its flavours. Some producers even use ancient chalk cellars that date back to Roman times.

Sustainability is Key: In 2003, Champagne was the first winegrowing region in the world to carry out a carbon footprint assessment. Today it is accelerating the implementation of its carbon plan to support the sector towards net-zero carbon by 2050.

The many elements that make Champagne so unique: Champagne’s long-standing heritage, geography, climate, terroir, craftsmanship and topography are some of the elements that make Champagne unique and set it apart. With over 300 years of history, Champagne has developed a global reputation for its excellence and quality and is so much more than a wine – it is a cultural icon.

Knowledge and craftsmanship have been handed down for many generations. Its subsoil is predominantly limestone, and the region’s chalky soils, cool climate, rolling hills and specific growing conditions are specificities that are unique to Champagne, and contribute to the crisp acidity and mineral characteristics found in the wine.

Finally, Champagne can only come from the Champagne region of northeastern France, protected by the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) and on July 4, 2015, it was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.