Wine Regions: Champagne

Montagne de Reims sits between Reims and Épernay, rising to about 600 feet. It’s a broad plateau edged with hills and valleys, creating several microclimates that suit all three major Champagne grapes.

The cooler slopes make this a standout zone for Pinot Noir, known for firm structure and depth. However, the area is also heavily forested, which helps protect vines from wind and soften the cool climate.

This is one of Champagne’s most diverse planting areas. Soils here mix chalk, clay, limestone, and sand, with pockets of lignite that hold nutrients and support healthy growth. In fact, for centuries, the chalk beneath these vineyards was heavily quarried, leaving behind deep pits (called crayères) that later became the vast underground cellars used to age millions of bottles.

With this region, Tours-sur-Marne is a notable Grand Cru village celebrated for top-quality Pinot Noir.

Notable Wine Varieties and Styles

• Pinot Noir: ~41% of plantings (a major driver of the local style)

• Meunier: ~35% of plantings

• Chardonnay: ~24% of plantings

Notable Producers

• Gosset – The oldest wine producer in Champagne (1584). Blends all three main grapes and is known for expressive, well-regarded reds.

• Champagne Bollinger – Famous for its rich, Pinot Noir–focused style shaped by oak fermentation, extended aging, and reserve wines kept in magnums. Iconic, traditional, and famously linked to James Bond.

• Vilmart & Cie – A respected grower-producer known for fermenting and aging all wines in oak while blocking malolactic fermentation, resulting in precise, vibrant, and elegant Champagne.

Côte des Blancs stretches for about 20 kilometers south of Épernay and is often considered the heart of the Champagne region. It consists of slopes carved into a long chalky ridge that is well-suited to produce crisp, elegant wines.

Côte des Blancs (though quite famous) is a relative newcomer. Most of its vineyards were planted only in the mid-19th century, much later than neighboring parts of Champagne.

The subregion is defined by its chalky slopes. Vines are planted on the lower to mid-sections of hills to capture the right balance of warmth and drainage. Eastern exposure brings gentle morning sun, helping pollination and even ripening. The resulting wines are fruity with bright acidity, delicate aromatics, and a clean minerality.

Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is a prestigious Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs, known for its chalky soils and crisp, mineral-driven Blanc de Blancs made entirely from Chardonnay.

Wine Varieties and Styles

• Chardonnay: About 85% of all plantings. Delivers floral notes, citrus, and a pure, linear profile.

• Pinot Noir: Roughly 7%. It can struggle in the chalk-heavy soils but can thrive in certain pockets.

• Other varieties (≈8%): Small amounts of Meunier and permitted heritage grapes, often used by Champagne houses in non-vintage blends.

Along the banks of the Petit Morin River, clay and alluvial soils blend with chalk. This allows red varieties to dominate in places where Chardonnay steps back.

Notable Producers

• Salon – One of Champagne’s most iconic names. A rare, high-end Grand Cru producer that makes only vintage Blanc de Blancs, crafted for collectors and long aging.

• Pierre Péters – Based in the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, this family-run domaine has specialized in Chardonnay since 1919, producing refined Blanc de Blancs.

• Pierre Gimonnet & Fils – A historic grower-producer celebrated for its precise, mineral-driven Blanc de Blancs sourced from top villages across the Côte des Blancs.

Recognized as a Chianti DOCG subzone in 1932, Colli Fiorentini lies closest to Florence and was historically known for producing vino cittadino — the “city wine” of Florence.

The local growers organized the Consorzio Chianti Colli Fiorentini in 1994 to oversee quality. By 2004, it received official recognition from Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Terroir and Climate

Vines in Colli Fiorentini grow at 150 to 400 meters above sea level. Many are planted on southeast- and southwest-facing slopes, catching spring sun and ripening grapes evenly into autumn. The climate is temperate, with reliable rainfall across the year.

The soils are a mix of compact clay and limestone with plenty of other stones. This holds heat and drains well.

These factors combine to produce grapes with both ripeness and freshness, yielding aromatic wines that are highly approachable.

Wine Styles and Character

Colli Fiorentini wines are generally medium-bodied, structured, and lifted by bright red fruit and floral notes. Labels may include Chianti Superiore and Chianti Riserva, alongside other Tuscan IGT bottlings like Rosso, Bianco, or Rosato.

Some producers experiment with modern approaches, such as aging in barrique or even terracotta amphorae.

Notable Wineries

One standout producer in Colli Fiorentini is Fattoria San Michele a Torri, which sits in the hills of Scandicci, just southwest of Florence. The estate spans roughly 75 hectares in Chianti Colli Fiorentini and another 15 in Chianti Classico. This allows the winery to produce wines with both DOCG labels.

Vallée de la Marne follows the winding Marne River between the Montagne de Reims and the Côte de Sézanne. This picturesque stretch of villages and riverbanks is also the birthplace of the first single-vineyard Champagne (crafted in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ).

The Marne river once served as Champagne’s main trade route, carrying wines straight to Paris and helping build the region’s early reputation.

Soils here are the most varied in Champagne (clay, sand, marl, and pockets of chalk) creating a wide range of wine styles. With both continental and oceanic influences, the cool climate gives the valley its signature fruit-forward character.

Within Vallée de la Marne, Aÿ-Champagne (Aÿ) is a notable Grand Cru village with one of the most storied names in the region. Historically, “Aÿ” was so renowned that it was sometimes used as a shorthand for all of Champagne.

Wine Varieties and Styles

Wines from the Vallée de la Marne are soft, youthful, and approachable, often showing apple, pear, and floral notes.

• Meunier (~59%) – The dominant grape, prized here because it buds later and withstands spring frosts better than Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

• Pinot Noir (~23%) – Adds structure and depth to blends.

• Chardonnay (~18%) – Brings brightness and finesse but plays a supporting role overall.

Notable Subregions

• Grande Vallée de la Marne – The eastern section near Épernay and Aÿ, home to many of Champagne’s Grand Cru villages and some of its most celebrated wines.

• Massif de Saint-Thierry – A distinctive area north of the main valley, known for characterful Meunier-driven wines shaped by unique soils and exposures.

Located in the Aube (a key French department), Côte des Bar is Champagne’s southernmost and warmest area (about 130 km below the central zone), making up roughly 25% of the region. Its warmer climate and distinct soils give it a personality all its own.

The name “Bar” comes from an ancient Celtic word meaning summit (referring to the steep slopes shaped by rivers and the edge of the Langres plateau). However, Côte des Bar’s history in Champagne is much newer. While most vineyards were planted at the end of the 19th century, the area didn’t become part of the official appellation until 1927.

The landscape features Jurassic-era slopes over limestone bedrock (much like Chablis of the Burgundy wine region). These soils support deep roots and produce clean, mineral-driven wines. Combined with the subregion’s warmth, grapes ripen easily here, creating richer fruit-forward styles with generous body and aromatics. Today, many northern houses rely on its fruit to add depth to their blends.

Wine Varieties and Styles

• Pinot Noir – The star of Côte des Bar. Most vineyards here are full of Pinot Noir, which thrives in the warmer climate and limestone soils.

• Chardonnay – About 10% of plantings, offering freshness and citrus lift.

• Meunier – Around 4%, used in small amounts for roundness and texture.

Notable Producers

The vineyards of Côte des Bar don’t follow a tidy grid. Instead, they appear between farms, forests, and winding streams. One standout producer is Champagne Coessens, known for its rare and highly sought-after still white wine made entirely from Pinot Noir.

When people talk about the Champagne wine region, they often list only four subregions, leaving out the Côte de Sézanne. But this quiet achiever is an official and very important part of the Champagne landscape.

Sitting along the southern edge of Champagne, Côte de Sézanne never developed any grand cru classifications. Without large houses setting up major bases here, the area became known for its small, independent grower-producers. Today, these offer some of the most authentic expressions of Champagne’s terroir.

Soils here mix clay, silt, and chalk, which are slightly warmer and richer than the pure chalk of the Côte des Blancs. Many vineyards face southeast, catching early sun (which helps grapes ripen sooner). The resulting wines are fruitier, rounder, and softer than those from cooler, chalkier zones to the north.

Wine Varieties and Styles

Grapes from Côte de Sézanne often play supporting roles in non-vintage blends produced by larger houses.

• Chardonnay – The dominant grape at about 70% of plantings, giving wines a ripe, expressive profile.

• Pinot Noir & Meunier – Both appear throughout the subregion in smaller amounts.

Notable Producers

• Champagne Breton Fils – A family-run grower known for light, fresh, elegant Champagnes that highlight the area’s softer style.

• Champagne Delong Marlène – Sustainability-focused grower known for HVE certification (first organic harvest in 2023), and minimal-intervention, single-plot cuvées.