Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars World Heritage Site

Official name

Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars | UNESCO

Country

France | Map

Continent

Europe

Location

49.7750° Lat, 3.9461° Lon | Map

Code

1465

Time Zone

Europe/Paris (CET, +0100)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2015. The property encompasses sites where the method of producing sparkling wines was developed on the principle of secondary fermentation in the bottle since the early 17 th century to its early industrialization in the 19 th century. The property is made up of three distinct ensembles: the historic vineyards of Hautvillers, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims, and the Avenue de Champagne and Fort Chabrol in Epernay. These three components – the supply basin formed by the historic hillsides, the production sites (with their underground cellars) and the sales and distribution centres (the Champagne Houses) - illustrate the entire champagne production process. The property bears clear testimony to the development of a very specialized artisan activity that has become an agro-industrial enterprise.