Location and climate
Avize is a wine-growing commune in the Marne department and lies in the central wine-growing region of the Côte des Blancs in the Champagne. The landscape is characterised by slopes lined with vines. The climate combines oceanic and continental influences, with mostly mild temperatures and rainfall; at the same time, there are risks from winter frosts and summer thunderstorms.
Terroir and grape variety
The slope of Avize shows chalk facies; in the upper part of the slope, hard Tertiary clay and limestone soils are found. Chardonnay is the dominant grape variety of the Côte des Blancs and is particularly adapted to the chalk outcrops there. The vineyards of Champagne are located predominantly on slopes facing south, south-east or east, which favours sunshine and drainage.
Wine style
In Champagne AOC, white and rosé sparkling wines are produced. For the Côte des Blancs, the Chardonnay-based Blanc de Blancs is documented as a style. An example from Avize is the Grand Cru wine Henriot L’Inattendue 2016, which was made from 100% Chardonnay from the Avize site.
History and wine law
For Avize, traces of prehistoric, Gallic, Roman and medieval settlement have been documented. The later economic development was shaped by the production of Champagne. Under the specifications of the Champagne AOC, Avize is one of the communes in the Marne department whose grapes may carry the additional designation “Grand Cru”. The appellation also has specifications for authorised grape varieties, the minimum age of the vines, as well as for harvesting, vinification, ageing and bottling within the legally defined production area.
