History of a Vineyard in Champagne: From Eighteenth to Twenty-First Century

This contribution illustrates the history of the vineyard in Champagne in interaction with the invention of sparkling wines in an area of ancient viticulture. The socio-geographical configuration of this vineyard progressively changed, associating crises and expansions, at the end of which emerges in the twentieth century a vineyard very different from that existing in the early eighteenth century, when the sparkling wine was invented in the Champagne region. In the new Millennium, after the great crisis of the 2008–2009, the shipments of Champagne wines have remained stable overall for a decade, but only exports out of Europe have increased significantly. The sales of independent winemakers and harvesting-manipulating remain mostly located at the national level. In opposite, the major Champagne houses, through their brands benefit from new international markets to Asia and America. Cooperatives that have engaged in a branding policy also participate in these expanding markets.