The Houses perfect their blends by combining wines from different years, different grapes and different vintages. The skill here is to create a whole that is greater the sum of its individual parts. 1 + 1 = 3, in a manner of speaking.
The sap oozing or “bleeding” from the vines is a sign of winter’s end.
In World War I, the Champagne House cellars were repurposed as shelters for local civilians and military personnel. Makeshift schools, hospitals, chapels and sleeping quarters were set up – even the Reims City Council moved its headquarters there. So began a whole new underground way of life, safe from the bombs that rained down from above.
For five generations, the village of Aÿ has been home to successive generations of the Philipponnat family. First they were growers and purveyors of wine to the court of Louis XIV. Then they became Champagne producers. In 1997 Philipponnat joined the Lanson-BCC group of family-driven Champagne brands.
The Champagne Houses