Champagne Granted World Heritage Status by Unesco

The historic vineyards, wine cellars and Champagne houses where the world’s most famous sparkling wines are produced have been listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

It picked out the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, where the grand houses sit above miles of cavernous cellars with millions of bottles of bubbly.

There was also a special mention of the village of Hautvilliers, in whose abbey as legend has it the monk Dom Perignon first invented the double fermentation technique that gives Champagne its fizz.

The Champagne region, where the grapes are grown, already contain some of the most expensive agricultural land in Europe.

Inclusion on UNESCO’s list ensures the sites receive special protection in future.

UNESCO said the Champagne world heritage status covers “the places sparkling wine was developed using a second fermentation method in the bottle from the beginning of the 17th century until its early industrialisation in the 19th century.

Unesco said the Champagne industry was “a very specialised artisan activity that has become an agro-industrial enterprise.”