Discover Champagne: France’s Most Celebrated Wine Region

Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Reimagine This Classic Region...

If wine is about storytelling, then Champagne is a masterpiece written in bubbles. Located just 150km east of Paris, the Champagne region is a symbol of celebration, heritage, and the kind of meticulous craftsmanship that elevates a drink into an experience.

Let’s take a fresh look at the world’s most famous sparkling wine, through the lens of fine food, authenticity, and a new wave of growers redefining what Champagne truly means.

Champagne Is a Place Before It's a Wine

While many know it as a beverage, Champagne is first and foremost a place. Officially delimited in 1927, the region covers about 34,000 hectares and includes 319 villages but only 17 of these are designated as Grand Cru. The climate is cool and chalky, perfect for producing high-acid wines with finesse and aging potential.

This delicate balance gives birth to something remarkable: a wine with both power and elegance. Over 300 million bottles are produced each year, yet the best grower Champagne selections are limited, thoughtful, and terroir-driven.

The Art of the Blend and the Soil Beneath It

Champagne is made primarily from three grapes: Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay with Chardonnay playing a key role in elegance and structure. The region’s signature lies in its blend, not just of grapes but of villages, vintages, and visions. This results in wines that are as complex as they are festive.

What sets Champagne apart from other sparkling wines?

  • The traditional method (méthode champenoise), involving a second fermentation in the bottle

  • Extended lees aging (minimum 15 months; often years)

  • Minerality from chalky soils that are millions of years old

  • A balance of tension, texture, and timeless beauty

The Four Faces of Champagne

To understand Champagne, you must know its subregions, each one bringing its own identity to the blend.

  • Montagne de Reims

This area produces bold, structured wines, particularly from Pinot Noir. Home to famous Grand Cru villages like Verzenay and Bouzy, it also hosts small, independent producers like Michel Laval, whose vineyard lies in Boursault, a hidden gem.

  • Vallée de la Marne

The heartland of Meunier, this zone contributes to roundness and fruit. The wines here are softer and more generous, ideal for pairing with French gourmet dishes.

  • Côte des Blancs

As the name suggests, this is Chardonnay territory. Here you'll find blanc de blancs wines that are razor-sharp, mineral-driven, and age-worthy. The perfect companion for oysters, aged cheeses, and fine food Australia classics.

  • Côte des Bar

Often overlooked, this southern zone is increasingly popular with younger winemakers producing biodynamic wine and low-intervention cuvées that speak of place.

Let’s Talk Taste: What to Expect in Your Glass

Whether you’re opening a bottle for a birthday, a Sunday brunch, or simply because the mood is right, Champagne offers styles to suit:

  • Brut: The classic dry style, crisp, lean, and food-friendly

  • Extra Brut or Brut Nature: Even drier, perfect for wine and seafood pairing

  • Rosé: Often made by blending red and white wines - luscious, berry-forward, and versatile

  • Vintage: Made in exceptional years - complex, rare, and age-worthy

  • Prestige Cuvée: The top-of-the-line expression of a house’s talent and terroir

Why Chefs and Collectors Are Falling in Love Again

Champagne is having a renaissance. Chefs are reaching for terroir-driven French wines, while collectors are seeking limited production French wines with personality over prestige.

Today’s Champagne isn’t about labels. It’s about artisanal wine producers, sustainable French wineries, and families who farm with the future in mind.

Spotlight: Michel Laval, The Soul of Artisan Champagne

At Aptent Gourmet, we proudly carry the exceptional cuvées of Michel Laval Champagne, an independent house rooted in the village of Boursault. For generations, the Laval family has farmed with care, championing biodiversity and small-batch excellence.

They also produce a fresh and vibrant grower Champagne ideal for aperitifs, Sunday brunch, or just because. These aren’t mass-market bottles. They’re handcrafted, elegant, and aligned with our values of transparency, flavor, and terroir.

Rethink Champagne Beyond the Hype

We’ve curated a handpicked French wine selection with soul, from bold Pinot Noirs to textured cuvées aged to perfection. Every bottle is shipped with care, and we proudly offer French wine delivery Australia-wide.

Discover the Michel Laval Champagne collection now

Written by Aptent Digital