NEW CHAMPAGNE SPECS

CHAMPAGNE REGULATIONS just got a little stricter. Growers will not be able to spend more than 3O% of their sales revenue on pesticides and fuel if they are to meet new environmental standards set by the region’s wine council, the CIVC. The organization is seeking to bolster Champagne’s environmental credentials by launching a new certification scheme that is designed to build on France’s nationwide environmental standard, the Haut Valeur Environnementale (HVE). To qualify, producers must meet a range of criteria, including 3O% of their turnover on primary inputs, like pesticides and fuel. A technical booklet explaining the new voluntary certification, and detailing 125 measures, will be distributed to all 2O,OOO growers across the region. Other criteria include a commitment to protect hedgerows surrounding vineyards, and to replace metal sticks for trellising with wooden ones. “There are four main criteria to the certification,” CIVC spokesperson Thibault le Mailloux said. “The first is about protecting the landscape of the region; something that is linked to our candidature for UNESCO World Heritage recognition. The others are encouraging biodiversity, limiting waste and use of phytosanitary products such as pesticides, and the overall reduction of the carbon footprint.” Champagne was the first wine region in France to begin a Carbon Initiative back in 2OO3. Houses have since reduced the carbon footprint of each bottle of Champagne by 15%, while pesticide use has dropped by 5O%. Le Mailloux said the incentive for producers to meet the new standard is to gain a competitive advantage in the market. Consumers, he said, expect good environmental stewardship. But, it is understood that there are some concerns among houses about the cost involved, and whether consumers would accept higher prices as a result.