Champagnes de Vignerons returns to London in style on 7 April
Following on the success of the 2010 event, Les Champagnes de Vignerons, the trade body that represents champagne producers and co-operatives of growers in that region, will present its members' know-how and production at an exclusive B2B event to be held in central London on 7 April 2011. The wine tasting is organised by the French Trade Commission in the UK.
- (1888PressRelease) March 19, 2011 - On Thursday 7 April, in an exclusive event, Champagnes de Vignerons will hold a tasting of its members' champagnes at the Orangery Gallery in Holland Park (in London). The event will be held from 10.00am to 5.00pm. In order to register, journalists should contact Mary-Ann Williams, Press Officer (see contact details at the bottom of this press release).
Les Champagnes de Vignerons is a collective trademark from the winemakers of the Champagne region (in eastern France). Created in 2001 by the Syndicat Général des Vignerons (i.e. the Champagne Growers' Union) in order to promote champagnes produced across the region's vineyards, the collective brand - Les Champagnes de Vignerons (or 'Winegrowers' champagne') - brings together all the area's growers (vignerons) and co-operatives of growers that make champagne.
The event of 7 April 2011, which is organised by the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in the UK, will give trade and media participants the opportunity to taste a range of champagnes that are full of character and steeped in tradition.
Winegrowers' champagnes are already distributed in the UK: Les Champagnes de Vignerons are retailed mainly by wine merchants, in Britain. The Champagnes de Vignerons trade association is confident there is proven and considerable potential for the sale of champagnes with a difference across the UK.
Key statistics illustrate the fact that the vineyards are a dynamic force and play a crucial role in the economy of the whole region. Les Champagnes de Vignerons represents 5,000 growers and co-operatives of growers, who make and sell champagne. As a sign of the producers' independence, it should be stressed that 90% of the vineyards concerned are owned by the growers themselves. Overall, about a third of total champagne sales (31%) are made by independent winegrowers and co-operatives of growers, which amounts to 100 million bottles per year on average.
The Champagnes de Vignerons trademark constitutes an important and valuable symbol for each vineyard that belongs to the association. It is a brand name, but it is also more than that, since it carries strong values that blend tradition with expertise and authenticity. For Les Champagnes de Vignerons, the focus must be on the individual know-how of each grower - know-how which is passed down from generation to generation - and the diversity and quality of the wines produced.
As a seal of excellence for the Champagnes de Vignerons brand, the label guarantees that every bottle of champagne is produced from vines grown by the vignerons themselves. It also ensures that the champagne concerned is produced directly on the winegrower's estate or by a co-operative of growers.
How to spot a Champagnes de Vignerons champagne could not be easier: on the bottle, the Champagnes de Vignerons label attests to the origin and quality of the champagne concerned. The label is represented by a specific and easily recognizable logo. Featuring colours that include black, gold or yellow as well as blue, the logo symbolises the different stages in the production of champagne - from the harvest to the cellar…and the tasting.
Different winemakers place the logo on different parts of the bottle: on the back label, on the neck of the bottle, or on the cork (in which case it is affixed to the wire cap). In the unlikely event of the logo not being on display on the bottle, information listed on the label can be checked, which will indicate that it is a Champagnes de Vignerons champagne. (The label may carry various abbreviations, such as RM, which stands for Récoltant Manipulant ; RC, which stands for Récoltant Coopérateur ; CM, which stands for Coopérative de Manipulation ; and, finally, SR, which stands for Société de Récoltants.)
The wine-producing areas for growers' champagne are diverse. The complex characteristics of the local soil combine with the expertise and passion of the men and women who create the Champagnes de Vignerons, resulting in exceptional champagnes with true character.
From a geological and geographical standpoint, Champagne is a truly unique winegrowing area, combining a climate that can be harsh, yet is tempered by the influence of the sea, with a mostly chalky sub-soil, which is uniquely receptive to sunshine. Champagne is also a remarkably diverse area, made up of 280,000 plots spread over the 35,000 hectares of the champagne Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée or AOC (i.e. the production area covered by the French authorities' stringent certification-of-origin process).
Four separate areas (see right) comprise the designated 'Champagne' region, and each area gives the grapes a distinctive quality, which helps to construct the individual personality of each wine elaborated by the winegrowers.
The Montagne de Reims is a wide, low plateau, which overhangs the chalky plains. It stretches north-west of the city of Rheims (spelt 'Reims' in French), as far as Epernay. The main grape variety found in this area is Pinot Noir.
The Marne Valley, for its part, tends to be shale, clay or sand, and runs from the east of Epernay to the west of Château-Thierry. Pinot Meunier is the grape variety of choice in this part of the Champagne region.
On the other hand, La Côte des Blancs is blessed with chalky soil; this area stretches south of Epernay, from Sézanne to Vitry le François. Chardonnay is the main grape variety grown in La Côte des Blancs.
Finally, La Côte des Bar includes the area situated around Troyes as well as Montgueux, and it extends to Bar-Sur-Seine and Bar-Sur-Aube. In this part of Champagne, the most widely grown grape is Pinot Noir.
The 7 April event in London will give trade and other professionals, specialist consultants, wine writers, editors and journalists the opportunity to discover a range of champagnes that hold great appeal thanks to their memorable quality, their unparalleled diversity, and their genuine authenticity.
About Champagnes de Vignerons
Champagnes de Vignerons is a trade association that was formed in 2001 by the Syndicat Général des Vignerons (or SGV) in Champagne. Its aim is to promote the champagne production of winegrowers and growers' co-operatives across the eastern French region of Champagne.
The wine tasting, which is organised by the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in the United Kingdom, will take place on Thursday 7 April 2011 from 10.00am to 5.00pm at the Orangery Gallery, in Holland Park. Formerly the garden ballroom of Henry Edward Fox, 4th Baron Holland (1802-1859), a politician and diplomat, the Orangery Gallery is an elegant building in the heart of Holland Park (in London).
To register, journalists should contact Ms Mary-Ann Williams, Press Officer at the French Trade Commission in London, on 020 7024 3640 (press office), or by email on mary-ann.williams ( @ ) ubifrance dot fr dot
For further information about the venue, please go to:http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/museums/theorangery.aspx
For further information about the event, please go to: www.champagnesdevignerons.com
For further information, please contact :
Quote ref. : FTPB3572
Ms Mary-Ann WILLIAMS - Press Officer
UBIFRANCE Press Office in London
Tel: +44 (0) 207 024 3640
mary-ann.williams ( @ ) ubifrance dot fr
View other press releases at :
http://www.ubifrance.com/uk/
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