The relationship between champagne producers and their properties is something quite peculiar in the wine world. In general, vineyard owners sell their harvest to the Grandes Casas, or to dealers, who in turn vinify and bottle according to the blend that their cellar chefs decide. In other cases, they sell to cooperatives, which can either vinify under their own labels or under the specific labels of the person who supplied them with the grapes. It may seem difficult to know who is who in this market, but the Comité Champagne Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne has an interesting rule that helps us unravel: it requires that each bottle bears the inscription of the producer's category. Just look for it: somewhere on the label there is an acronym and a registration number. Let's go to the main categories: NM – negociant manipulant: winery that can either grow its own grapes or buy grapes from other producers, making wine under its own label. Ex.: Veuve Clicquot and all the Great Houses.
RM – recoltant manipulant: producer who vinifies his own grapes. Eg: Tarlant.
CM – cooperative of manipulation: cooperative that vinifies the grapes of its members. Ex: Nicolas Feuillatte.
RC - recoltant cooperateur: producer who is a member of a cooperative, who vinifies his grapes and returns the wine to the producer to market under his own label. Ex.: J. Perard Pere et Fils.
ND – dealer distributeur: dealer who buys the wine already bottled, selling it under his own label to the market. Ex.: Tesco (English supermarket chain).
Comments