The Rise of French Grower Champagne

To fully appreciate champagne, it is important to have knowledge about its origin. Authentic champagnes mainly originate from the Champagne region located in the northeast of France. This region is home to a large number of sparkling wine producers, with over 16,000 growers present. These producers can be classified into three groups - Houses, Cooperatives, and Growers.

Houses & Cooperatives

Did you know that "big-name champagnes", also known as house producers, account for about 80% of the champagne imported to the United States? Think Ruinart, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Perrier-Jouet and more. These producers stand out from others because they purchase grapes from thousands of different growers in various regions. By doing so, they can make millions of bottles each year and keep up with the high demand. Additionally, the blending of different ratios of Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay grapes ensures a consistent and signature taste, as these producers can adjust their blends year after year.

Cooperatives operate similarly to Houses in their use of grapes from other growers. But the main difference is that cooperatives specifically use fruit from a particular village in Champagne and from their surrounding vineyards. For those who lack the necessary equipment for making sparkling wine, joining a village cooperative, or co-op, is an option. These champagnes can be labeled individually for the growers or they can be labeled as the co-op brand.

What Makes Grower Champagne Different

Grower champagne is a unique type of sparkling wine made by a single grape grower who tends the vineyards, harvests the fruit, and produces the wine. These producers are typically family brands with the vines being controlled within the family and passed down for generations. It's similar to farmers’ market produce or single-origin coffee, with a personal touch. Surprisingly, only about one-third of growers in the Champagne region are grower champagne producers.

One of the unique features of grower champagne is its distinct taste. This is because the wine is made using fruit from a single vineyard, which means that the flavor of the wine can vary depending on the conditions of the vines. Factors like the climate and weather conditions during the year can affect the fruit, resulting in a different taste of the wine each year.

Do You Know How to Determine the Grower of a Particular Champagne?

Champagne bottles are marked with a unique set of letters. These letters can identify each type of grower. There are seven official ways to identify Champagne:

• NM (Négociant manipulant) is the most common and refers to companies that buy grapes to produce their champagne.
• CM (Coopérative de manipulation) is one single co-op producing its wine from numerous regional growers’ fruit.
• RM (Récoltant manipulant), is a grower who makes champagne from their grapes.
• SR (Société de récoltants), a collaboration of growers that don't form an official cooperative. 
• RC (Récoltant coopérateur), is a cooperative member that bottles champagne under their name and label.
• MA (Marque auxiliaire), is a brand name not related to the product or grower, but rather a supermarket.
• ND (Négociant distributeur), is a wine merchant who sells produce under their name.



At HWSD, we partner with grower producers to bring you some of the most unique champagnes from the Champagne region. To name a few: Mathieu-Gosztyla, located in Baslieux-sous-Chatillon, is a charming champagne house that has been expertly bottling their grapes since 1976. Despite their limited production of only 40,000 bottles per year, their champagnes are worth discovering and are available for purchase today! The Sacret family has been producing wines under the Champagne Sacret label since 1920. The vineyards have been passed down through four generations and continue to produce exceptional wines to this day. You can shop for Champagne Sacret wines through HWSD. Located near the base of Montagne de Reims in Louvois village, Guy de Chassey is a winery that has been owned by the same family for over seven generations. Built in the 12th century, this winery has been awarded the esteemed Grand Cru 100% label, a distinction achieved by only 17 villages in Champagne. Experience the taste of Guy de Chassey now!