Champagne

As a region Champagne is divided into 5 areas of production; Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne in which Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes are grown for the production of the regions signature wine. In comparison to the rest of the world's successful wine producing regions, Champagne lies the furthest from the equator at 49°N. Usually this would be considered too far from the equator to fully ripen grapes, however Champagne's distance from the coast provides a warmer continental climate that ripens the grapes early and provides the perfect balance of sugar and acidity for producing a quality sparkling wine. The method itself for adding the sparkle to the otherwise thin and acidic still Champagne wine, is actually very intriguing which is known as the “traditional” or “champagne method”.