Champagne – Part Four: The Houses

In Champagne region, the Growers own over 90 percent of the 84,000 acres of vineyards in the appellation but it is the Champagne “Houses” that produce the majority of the wine. The Houses need to buy grapes from the growers, and the growers need to sell their grapes to the Houses. This has led to a sort of pas de deux between the two parties where each relies on the other.

But of course, it’s not as simple as that. Nothing ever is.

Check out the Part Four of my four-part series on Champagne in this week’s Examiner Newspaper.