What are the main grapes used for making Champagne?

The three main varieties used in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Champagne can be made up of a blend of all three varieties, two varieties or perhaps only one variety. For example, 100% Chardonnay is used to make a Blanc de Blancs. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are the only two red grapes grown in the Champagne region, and the three varieties account for about 99% of the region’s plantings.

There are actually seven permitted varieties that can be grown in Champagne, the other 4 being Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier and Arbane, however, these white varieties make up less than .3% of plantings.

Although Chardonnay is the only white grape of the dominant three it is the least planted grape variety in Champagne, comprising just over 25,000 acres. In fact, Chardonnay-based Champagnes make up less than 5% of the category. Pinot Noir is the main grape used in Champagne blends, and is the most widely planted variety in the region, encompassing more than 32,000 acres. Pinot Noir, often described as delicate, brings body to the wine, that mouth-filling, structural texture. It also adds lovely aromatics to the blend.

When the grapes are harvested they are pressed in a pressoir coquart. Its unique feature is a shallow base that allows only a thin layer of grapes to be pressed. As a result, the juice does not come into significant contact with the red skins of the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and no colour is imparted.