"Champagne is on the verge of profound change. There is a growing realization in the region that its viticulture has become slovenly and the subtleties of its terroir have been neglected. The era of great growers and great vineyards is just beginning."
- The New France, Andrew Jefford, 2002

The Champagne region in France is dominated by a handful of brand names. These négoçiants and coopératives produce 80% of the total output in Champagne, yet they own only 12% of the vineyards. They may, by law, purchase as much of their grapes or pressed juice or already made sparking wine (known as sur-lattes) as they wish from all over the region. And they bring to market a mass-produced commodity - the most successful processed agricultural product in human history - a Champagne made in a "house style." This is a sparkling wine made in a highly interventionist and formulaic way with swift pressing, extensive use of chaptalization, acidification, cultured yeast strains, enzymes, nitrogenous yeast nutrients and rapid temperature controlled fermentations which amounts to millions of cases annually. By contrast, Small Growers, or "récoltant-manipulants," handcraft their limited quantities of Champagne from individual villages and parcels where the inherent qualities of the vineyards imprint themselves into the wines. These winemakers are brave souls in an industrialized age: growing, vinifying and bottling their own Champagne and offering it to the world as their life's work.

Click HERE for details on the Grower Champagne of Triage Wines.