This year's harvest in France's famous Champagne region promises to be exceptional. Also exceptional may be women's increased presence in this important wine region, and the femmes de vin who are advancing Champagne. Prompting our visit was learning about two new organizations formed by women. The first is La Transmission , an association of 10 women in Champagne seeking to modernize the industry, co-founded by two prominent women, Anne Malassagne, the fourth-generation co-owner of AR Lenoble, an independent, family-owned champagne house, and Maggie Henriquez, CEO and President of Krug Champagne since The second is Les Fa'Bulleuses de Champagne , an association of seven young women from independent champagne houses who came together to promote their champagnes, their region, and their know-how as winemakers.
We study women winemakers in major wine regions and report on prominent international wine regions such as Champagne where women winemakers and producers are receiving increasing recognition. We were eager to learn more about these two organizations. We also wished to meet those few women currently working as chef de caves in the large champagne houses. Despite the fame of "The Widow Clicquot," 1 Champagne remains traditional with respect to the participation of women in the industry, with relatively few women in leading winemaker and leadership roles.
The Champagne wine region , located approximately miles east northeast of Paris, is a strictly defined area encompassing villages in five different Regions see map. In accordance with EU law and the laws of most countries, champagne - the wine - can only come from the Champagne wine region of France. Today's champagne remains as exotic, traditional, and complex as ever, but the wine-producing area itself is becoming increasingly similar to other major wine-producing areas in its use of organic and biodynamic practices and its increased emphasis on the importance of terroir.
Also important to note is that champagne has always been a blended wine. While there are more single-vineyard and single-village champagnes being made today, according to Liem the vast majority of these are composed of intricate blends. This is for reasons of practicality and quality: the Champagne region contends with perennial threats from weather, particularly hail storms and late Spring frosts, so blending helps maintain quality from year to year.
Anne also invited us to return for Le Printemps des Champagnes , a weeklong celebration of the champagnes of independent producers, to attend an event sponsored by La Transmission , and there we were able to meet all the members of this group. Le Printemps des Champagnes, April Not pictured, Floriane Eznack Champagne Jacquart.
