Collection: Grower Champagne

For centuries Champagne has been dominated by the Grandes Marques - houses such as Dom Perignon, Ruinart, Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Moet et Chandon (interestingly, all of these are owned by the same company), and the smaller vignerons have either been squeezed out or forced to sell their grapes. Due to the prohibitive costs in Champagne production, it made economic sense for the majority of growers to sell their fruit. This played into the hands of the larger houses, because for the Grandes Marques, consistency is king. The ability to develop a house style through blending is paramount to their success.

It was only in the 1980s that a handful of producers began to break free of this negociant model and decided to make their own wines. They were seeking a more pure expression of their terroir; one that didn't require high levels of sugar to be added to the finished wine; one that didn't rely on chemical sprays in the vineyard; one that could be vinified in smaller barriques, rather than commercial-scale steel tanks.

Breaking away from the "consistency is king" model and asking "who grows you Champagne" means terroir and vintage really come out to play, with each Grower Champagne allowing their unique character to shine. In turn, the changes to organic and biodynamic farming as managed by the smaller producers really gives back to the land and terroir. The Champagne produced is of the upmost quality due to the control the growers have during every step of the process. Truly artisanal.

At Annandale Cellars we are strong supporters of the Grower Champagne movement. Explore the collection in the link below, and read the stories of the families of artisans and their products, or come and have a chat with us in-store to discuss the range of these unique and special Champagnes.