The 40 new communes proposed for inclusion into the AOC champagne growing area have been named in the local press, prior to their official publication by the French wine regulator, the Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO).

The official list is to be published in the next 10 to 15 days.

The majority of new communes are in the Marne department, one of the original ‘départements’ created in March 1790, during the French Revolution.

It includes part of the historic province of Champagne. The old province system was superseded by the existing system of regions, and the province Champagne is now part of the region of Champagne-Ardenne.

The communes named in the Marne are: Baslieux-les-Fismes, Blacy, Boissy-le-Repos, Bouvancourt, Breuil-sur-Vesle, Bussy-le-Repos, Champfleury, Courlandon, Courcy, Courdemanges, Fismes, Huiron, La-Ville-sous-Orbais, Le-Thoult-Trosnay, Loivre, Montmirail, Mont-sur-Courville, Peas, Romain, Saint-Loup, Soulanges, Ventelay.

The communes named in the Aube department, which also includes part of the historic province of Champagne are: Arrelles, Balnot-la-Grange, Bossancourt, Bouilly, Etourvy, Fontvannes, Javernant, Laines-au-Bois, Macey, Messon, Prugny, Saint-Germain-l’Epine, Souligny, Torvilliers, Villery.

In the Aisne area the commune of Marchais-en-Brie, and in the Haute-Marne there is Champcourt and Harricourt.

Written by Sophie Kevany

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Sophie Kevany
Sophie Kevany
Bordeaux Expert, Decanter Magazine

Sophie Kevany is a freelance journalist, editor and researcher who is based in Bordeaux, France.

For Decanter, she reports on the news in Bordeaux, as well as covering various areas of the world wine industry such as environmentalism and reporting on wine markets.

She has formerly written for Agence France-Press, Dow Jones Newswires and the Profitable Ideas Exchange in Bordeaux.