The AOC

5^th

century

From the 5^th century A.D.,
vines and wines were
mainly cultivated by
religious orders
which produced still
red and white wines,
seeking to curb
the wine’s natural
tendency to sparkle.

Champagne wines became
known thanks to the
coronations of French
kings in Reims
and the famous Champagne
trading fairs.

Cathedral
of Reims

17^th

century

At the end of the
17^th century, the use of the
bottle to transport
the wine (previously in
casks) LED TO APPEARANCE
of bubbles: this was
the birth of the
Champagne method.

This sparkling
“VIN DIABLE”
(the devil’s wine)
quickly found favour
with European monarchs
and aristocrats,
becoming the symbol
of luxury and celebration.

18^th

century

The first
Champagne house
was founded
in 1729.

19^th

century

The 19^th century was
the century of technical
progress, (mastery of
fermentation, techniques
for producing sparkling
wine and mechanisation)
and commercial expansion,
to countries as far
afield as Russia
and the U.S.A.

From the late
19^th century to 1950:
the phylloxera crisis
followed by two
World Wars bled
the Champagne
region dry.

From 1950 onwards,
Champagne resumed its
commercial expansion,
with production growing
from 30 million bottles
in 1950 to 300 million
in 2000.

20^th

century

21^th

century

For more than 3 centuries,
Champagne wine has
retained its status,
both in France and
throughout the world,
as the wine of luxury,
joy, celebration
and special occasions.