Today, Champagne’s ancestral grape varieties Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris represent a minuscule fraction – 0.4 per cent, to be precise – of plantations, but over the past 20 years their planting has grown by 45 hectares to a total of 136. Even if these varieties do not pose a threat to the ‘The Big Three’, they bring versatility to Champagne and another dimension to its story. And they may also have a say in combatting the effects of climate change.
Read Essi Avellan’s article about their revival from Club Oenologique’s Grower Champagne Report here.
