By Irina von Holdt
Illustration: Astrid Skibbe

Don’t trust anyone who doesn’t drink champagne. You never know what their real likes might be. They could be devil worshippers or necrophiliacs, for instance. The least scary possibility is that they are to be avoided because they are simply joyless. Because who can resist those beautiful bubbles that make us feel so good?

Champagne is riding the crest of a wave from years of booming financial markets. It is the one success story in an otherwise very depressed French wine market. Never count the French out, though, they are fighting back. But it is the champenoise who understand marketing better than all the other French wine producers put together. How else do you suppose that a light, characterless wine made from under-ripe grapes in a cold corner of France could achieve such prominence? And command such a price? It has taken centuries to build that market. And it has come about through dogged hard work mixed with sheer brilliance, astuteness and commitment.

There is not enough champagne to go around now. This is in direct contrast to the days following the stock market crash of 1987 when the champenoise came out with a somewhat pathetic but pretty document, the Quality Charter, promising to maintain their quality no matter what. How things have changed! After years of telling us just how unique their terroir is, they are now seeking to expand it. Delineated in 1927 at about 34 000 hectares—and fully planted—here’s the dilemma. Boundaries are boundaries, so to increase production it is necessary to move the boundaries. Sounds like a good dollop of expediency, doesn’t it?

The process was started in 2003 with a survey and analysis of existing vineyards, as well as the proposed communes or villages. The appointed evaluating team of five experts covering vines, grapes, geology, etc. tabled a preliminary report on 13 March this year. It was accepted the same day. The proposal is that two villages be removed from the appellation and 40 included.
The next phase of the process is six to 12 months of public consultation and comment. This is where the horse trading starts. The difference in making the cut is enormous. Gilles Flutet, in charge of demarcation says, “If your vines fall on the wrong side of the divide, per hectare they will be worth €5 000. On the other side they will be worth €1 million (R12 700 000).” Can you imagine the frantic behind-the-scenes manoeuvring taking place?

The next step, in 2009, is the establishment of a Conseil d’Etat, or state appointed council, the highest administrative jurisdiction in France, which will initiate the legal process. After that, another panel of experts, different to the first, will examine and research the proposed areas again. It is expected to report back by 2015. On acceptance of their report, planting in the new areas may commence—with the first wines in any useful volume expected only by 2021. Clearly, this isn’t a quick fix.

For those villages removed from the appellation the blow will be softened; they may appeal. In any case there will be an implementation delay of years. Among the winners, for example, is a village, Champfleury, which was originally included in the appellation back in 1927, but declined inclusion on the grounds that champagne was expensive to make and did not make sufficient money. All of which was probably correct back then but, oh, how things change in the boom-and-bust history of champagne. Realising their mistake too late they tried many times, unsuccessfully, to be included.

Why the fuss? After all, appellations are being redrawn all the time as the system is dynamic and mistakes can be rectified, but the redrawing of the Champagne appellation is creating scepticism and controversy. Mainly because the champenoise have been telling us for years how unique their terroir is. Now suddenly it seems it was not all that unique—especially if territory next door, albeit territory on the outer edges of the current appellation, can be added. The trouble is that Champagne has such a high profile, and champagne lovers have a proprietary interest in what’s going on. Like landlords everywhere they don’t like anyone meddling with their property.

Robert Joseph, convenor of the many international wine competitions and recent visitor to SA, where he was president of the judges for the Swiss International Airlines Wine Awards, says: “Despite my belief in microclimates and terroir—at a Burgundian tiny-plot level—I am far less convinced by the validity of large appellations such as Champagne, Bordeaux and the Maconnais (not forgetting Napa and Stellenbosch). I have had far too many good sparkling wines from outside Champagne and far too many poor ones from within the region to believe that the defined region will have the predominating effect over the quality of what we get to drink. It’s worth remembering, by the way, that in earlier times, wines from Chablis went into Champagne...”
Will it ultimately affect the price of champagne to the consumer? “Prices will be driven by the market; a bigger area will mean that a basic level of champagne will remain more or less affordable,” he says. This is an interesting point, if enlarging the appellation helps to keep prices stable.

Perhaps even more interesting is that with global warming Champagne is becoming warmer. This makes those lean, high acid wines more and more difficult to achieve. So now the champenoise are looking to southern England with its cooler climate. The linking factor is the soil, a Kimmeridgian clay, a mix of limestone with crushed mollusc shells from prehistoric times. Named after a small Dorset town, it is spread in a swathe from England through to Chablis and Champagne. Now try and fit that into an expanded appellation contrôlé.

What to Drink?
Readily available in South Africa are the Grande Marque champagnes, such as Moët et Chandon and old favourites Bollinger and Veuve Clicquot with a more recent arrival in the delicious Pol Roger. But specialist importers are bringing in some delightful newcomers from small producers. These are high quality wines grown, made and bottled by dedicated growers who are, by and large, little-known. Seek out names such as Jaquesson, Lallier and the exquisite Bruno Paillard from specialist stockists.

Too rich for your blood, in these belt-tightening times? We’re lucky here in South Africa, with some very fine specialist producers of sparkling wine and MCCs. There is even a whole cellar devoted to making an entire range of sparklers: JC Le Roux in Devon Valley and well worth a visit. Stay for a stylish lunch and view the film to see exactly how they put the bubbles in the bottle. Take home a beautiful bottle of Desiderius, or Scintilla, or one of their specialist Pinot Noir sparkling wines.