Regionality is something that is rarely defined on the labels of champagne bottles or indeed on the websites of champagne producers. Yet we cannot begin to fully appreciate how terroir (the soil, climate, weather and topography) is manifested in the champagne that we drink without first understanding Champagne's regions and the villages that comprise them.Each village is unique, feeding the grapes it produces with properties that can only come from its defined location. When the Grandes Marques bring these grapes together in cross-regional blending, each village becomes a critical ingredient in a complex recipe. Whilst grower-producers will often showcase the terroir of a village - or indeed specific vineyards - using more defined parcels of land.
Getting into the 'nitty gritty' of grape manifestations according to their village is a daunting and complex task - it also can be quite alienating. Start talking to people about the oyster shell or chalky minerality of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and watch as people's eyes start to glaze over!
