As already addressed in the article "Climate change: the sustainability plan for Champagne" (you can read it HERE), the Comité Champagne has defined the Region's strategy to face the challenges of climate change by promoting sustainable development of the supply chain and encouraging a viticulture in harmony with the delicate balance of an ecosystem that has already undergone deep alterations.
Protecting the environment and producing collectively while respecting it is a priority and a necessary awareness for all operators in the sector; for this reason, the Comité has outlined environmental education guidelines over the years, concretizing them in a series of environmental certifications. The goal is to reach by 2030 100% of farms certified as sustainable in Champagne.
Every year more and more Maisons, Vignerons and cooperative wineries choose to become certified. Currently over 60% of the region's vineyard areas are certified, furthermore, 25% of production is ISO 14001 certified which integrates an environmental management system within the company management system itself.
Adherence to environmental certifications is voluntary and to obtain them it is necessary for producers to comply with the principles defined by them and verified through an audit process by a recognized certifying body. A voluntary commitment, therefore, which in addition to promoting sustainable agricultural practices by guaranteeing quality products, also constitutes an advantage in terms of credibility and reputation. In fact, the growing demand for certified Champagne (for example organic) has pushed many producers to direct their business towards certified viticulture.
Haute Valeur Environnementale – HVE
The Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value) certification is an environmental certification subject to national regulations, which includes 3 levels of requirements, each of which corresponds to specific actions in the context of the adoption of agricultural practices that minimize the impact on the environment in terms of air, climate, water, soil, biodiversity, landscapes. Only reaching level 3 allows you to obtain certification. Champagne is one of the regions in France with the highest number of HVE certified wineries.
Viticulture Durable en Champagne - VDC
Introduced by the Comité Champagne in 2014 and recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Viticulture Durable en Champagne (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne) certification is the application of the principles of sustainable agriculture to viticulture. It is based on 99 points, some of which are taken from the HVE standard, which refer to different areas of action, including the phytosanitary strategy, fertilization management and biodiversity conservation. Added to these are the commitment to safeguarding the terroir and enhancing the landscape, the responsible management of waste and by-products and the reduction of the ecological footprint.
Agricolture Biologique - AB
The Organic - AB certification guarantees the organic production of grapes and wine (not the work done in the cellars) and is regulated by the European directives on organic production. In 2003, the French certification body Ecocert established specific standards for organic viticulture in Champagne, providing a precise regulatory framework for the production of Champagne bio. This is a long process as the conversion of the vineyard to organic takes place in 3 years and it is possible to obtain organic certification of the grapes only starting from the fourth year of harvest; you then have to wait a further 15 months of winemaking to obtain the first certified organic non-vintage cuvée and 36 months for the organic vintage one.
Eric Rodez, Vincent Laval, Leclerc-Briant, Erick De Sousa, David Léclapart, Pascal Doquet are just some of the pioneers of sustainable viticulture in Champagne who have changed the approach of working in the vineyard.
Here you will find our selection of BIO certified Champagnes from six Producers engaged in organic viticulture practices.
Don't miss the opportunity to discover all the Champagnes BIO from the GLUGULP! Collection. Click HERE
Also discover all the ORGANIC Producers in our online catalogue. Click HERE