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Three centuries of history 
The Champagne Appellation The Keys to the Wines of Champagne Bibliography
The Champagne region has a history of vine growing that dates back to the dawn of Christianity. Its vineyards cover a 34,000 hectare area and have ranked as an Appellation of Origin in their own right for almost a century (since 1927). But despite its world-famous wines, the region itself remains little known. So what are the characteristics that have made the vineyards of Champagne what they are today?
The answer lies in the terroir, that uniquely French word for the combination of natural and manmade factors that defines any growing region. The Champagne terroir is the only one of its kind. With its northern location, rugged climate, distinctive soil type and hillside vineyards, Champagne is an original as the wine it produces.
Over the centuries, the people of Champagne have learned to harness the extraordinary potential of their natural environment. The process continues today with an on-going programme of research and development, focusing on a remarkable array of very specific features.
The information provided here gives a detailed description of the natural heritage of Champagne, intended for Champagne devotees with a thirst for more than the wine itself.
 A harsch climate [QuickTime - 01'00 mn]  Low Bandwidth High Bandwidth |
 Chalk [QuickTime - 00'45 mn] Low Bandwidth High Bandwidth |