• The Champagne AOC was officially recognised in 1936 and today covers around 34 200 hectares of vineyards in north-eastern France.
• The Champagne vineyard is divided into 5 main subregions: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne and Côte des Bar.
• Champagne has 17 Grand Cru villages and 44 Premier Cru villages. Grand Crus are mainly located in Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs, with a few in Vallée de la Marne.
• 9 grape varieties are authorised, but 3 dominate production: Pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier, which represent almost all plantings in the region.
• According to the appellation rules, Champagne must be a sparkling wine produced using a second fermentation in bottle. Wines must age at least 15 months on lees for non-vintage Champagne and 36 months for vintage Champagne.
• The region includes about 16 000 grape growers, 125 cooperatives and around 390 Champagne houses.
• Some very famous Champagne houses include Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Ruinart, Perrier-Jouët and Deutz.
