The Comité Champagne
A joint trade association acting in the interests of the Champagne designation
A joint trade association acting in the interests of the Champagne designation
The Comité Champagne is the joint trade association for the Champagne industry. It was one of the first-ever regional joint trade associations to be established in France. Since 1941, it has defended the joint interests of Champagne’s houses and growers and contributed to the balance and outreach of the whole of the Champagne industry and its designation.
The Champagne joint trade association works as an engine of economic growth. It helps to establish an equal partnership between growers and Champagne houses in which consensus is always sought. The Comité Champagne therefore advocates daily in favour of some 16,200 growers, 130 cooperatives and 370 Champagne houses. It provides an equal footing for small-scale winegrowers and large international companies to come together around the same table.
Conducting the industry as one
Champagne houses and growers are guided by different economic rationales. And yet they share a common destiny. They know that the wealth of their terroir must be protected and defended.
This means that protection and promotion of their heritage, quality development and sustainable development, as well as Champagne’s global standing, are common goals shared by both sets of stakeholders. The Comité Champagne embodies this solidarity, this bridge and this convergence of interests between Champagne houses and growers.
Champagne culture
The Comité Champagne, custodian of the Champagne Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation
The Champagne geographical area and the rules governing its production are strictly defined by very precise specifications. These define the Champagne designation (AOC), which is protected. Part of the Comité Champagne’s remit is to ensure compliance with these specifications. Find out more:
The Comité Champagne, custodian of the Champagne Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation
The Champagne geographical area and the rules governing its production are strictly defined by very precise specifications. These define the Champagne designation (AOC), which is protected. Part of the Comité Champagne’s remit is to ensure compliance with these specifications. Find out more:
Guaranteeing the balance, stability and promotion of the Champagne industry
The Comité Champagne’s duties have changed over the years as it has successfully adapted to the necessities of the time. Initially focused on regulating the industry and defending the Champagne name, the Comité Champagne now oversees a three-pronged remit:
Striking the right economic balance
The Comité Champagne’s main responsibility is to ensure the economic stability of the industry by helping to organise its production and improve its running.
For that, it governs the contractual relations between growers and houses. Champagne makers deliberate together and make collective decisions to secure the future of their industry. The Comité Champagne also manages the Champagne reserve, which compensates for small vintages.
Champagne culture
The Champagne reserve, unique to the region
Annual grape yields can vary considerably. Indeed, viticulture is not an exact science: production is subject to climatic vagaries and a number of factors that growers cannot control.
To compensate these variations, an unprecedented system was introduced in Champagne: the reserve. In good years, wines are set aside to meet supply needs in years when yields are smaller.
The Champagne reserve, unique to the region
Annual grape yields can vary considerably. Indeed, viticulture is not an exact science: production is subject to climatic vagaries and a number of factors that growers cannot control.
To compensate these variations, an unprecedented system was introduced in Champagne: the reserve. In good years, wines are set aside to meet supply needs in years when yields are smaller.
Sustainable development and keeping the vineyards at the forefront of technical innovation
Contributing to the excellence of Champagne wines and encouraging sustainable development also form part of the Comité Champagne’s duties. These days, climate change and changing expectations in society are ushering in major technical challenges for Champagne and its industry.
The joint trade association is therefore implementing various research programmes in viticulture and oenology: engineers and technicians are conducting over 200 experiments annually to constantly improve Champagne practices in an environmentally-friendly mindset. It also passes on this knowledge to the industry’s members through an array of educational tools.
Protection and promotion of the designation
The Champagne designation is a strong symbol of recognition of our Champagne houses’ and growers’ expertise. It represents a common intangible heritage that we all share with pride and passion.
Guided by the devotion of the people behind the Champagne designation, the Comité Champagne is unwavering in its efforts to defend it and raise its profile in France and abroad, not least through its bureaus with bases all over the world. First and foremost this involves strengthening protection of the Champagne designation on the global stage by securing full recognition of it. 122 countries currently recognise the Champagne designation. The Comité Champagne also combats violations of this recognition and all forms of counterfeiting, imitation or misuse.
It develops knowledge of the Champagne markets and consumers by conducting surveys in various countries. The Champagne industry and its professionals can use the findings of these studies to implement promotional campaigns. The Comité Champagne is also proactive in providing training in the diversity of Champagne wines and their production process by organising tours and tastings for example or by developing a wide range of educational tools.
2012 – Les Arts de l'effervescence exhibition at the Reims Musée des Beaux-Arts.
2013 – The Champagne designation is protected in China and Brazil.
2014 – Launch of the Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (VDC) certification for estates. The Champagne region has embarked on a varietal innovation programme.
2015 – The online training app Champagne Campus is rolled out on a global scale.
2018 – An updated consensual framework is set up to govern the market for grapes and clear, natural base wines (known locally as ‘vins clairs’). Launch of the Qualimar programme for improved management of grape quality in Champagne.
2019 – Champagne shipments abroad exceed domestic shipments: this has not been seen since the end of World War II. The Champagne MOOC becomes the global Champagne education platform.
2020 – Global COVID-19 health crisis. Thanks to its organisation and collective regulation tools, the industry and its businesses pull through.
2021 – Spectacular rise in shipments particularly linked to the growth in exports.
Under Article 9 of the Law of 12 April 1941, the Comité Champagne is entitled to enact ‘general measures’ and make decisions ‘that are binding for all stakeholders’. These decisions take the form of regulations, which are then communicated via the appropriate channels (person-to-person, via press publication or via public posting).
The Law provides a broad framework for regulation. There are eight paragraphs that specify the general scope of the Comité Champagne’s remit, in line with government directives:
1 – To monitor supply and demand and require the submission of whatever economic records may be needed in pursuance of this objective.
2 – To improve the organisation of production so that the marketing of products may be coordinated.
3 – To manage and regulate relationships between the different stakeholder groups, most notably via standard contracts for the sale and purchase of grapes, wine must and wines.
4 – To improve market efficiency by ruling on the percentage of wines that must be kept in reserve/and or the staged release of Champagne wine production.
5 – To improve the quality and traceability of grapes, wine must and wines.
6 – To promote sustainable winegrowing practices, environmental protection and a rational approach to vineyard development.
7 – To issue membership cards.
8 – To undertake outreach, communication and promotional activities to protect and defend the AOC wines of the official Champagne wine region.
The wording of these provisions is deliberately broad, to give breadth to the Comité’s remit.
The Comité Champagne is authorized to levy direct subscriptions from its members to cover administrative costs and to ‘pursue stakeholder interests’.
Subscriptions are raised:
- - On the quantity of grapes harvested (the burden of dues being shared by growers and the Champagne houses that acquire the grapes)
- - On shipments of bottles of Champagne.
Annual receipts and payments are approximately 19 million euros. As a rough guide, one third of the Comité’s financial resources is spent on R & D, another third on communication, reputation building and protection of the Champagne AOC, and the remaining third on general operating expenses.