Champagne Problems: Can Bubbly Ever Be Sustainable?

In 2022, Champagne sales soared to a record $6.5 billion. Still, between the post-pandemic travel boom and all those long-delayed celebrations, it’s no wonder bubbles were in high demand. Houses and growers throughout the French wine region are now producing upwards of 300 million bottles each year—and more than ever, it turns out, have been doing so with an increasing focus on sustainability.

Over the past few decades, climate change—both in the form of rising temperatures and extreme weather—has drastically impacted harvests in the region. Some major houses have even invested in vineyards in Kent, England, where the temperature mimics that of the French region decades ago, and the chalk soil is similar. But as any wine-lover knows, true Champagne is only made in one locale. Thanks to the wine region’s protected designation of origin, any sparkling wine made outside the region can’t be sold under this hallowed name. (See: Italy’s prosecco, Spain’s cava, or England’s sparkling wine.) 

Steeped in history, the Champagne region’s some 16,000 growers and more than 300 houses—as well as the entwined hospitality industry encompassing hotels, inns, and restaurants—are prioritizing sustainability to ensure the longevity of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Among those at the forefront is Relais & Châteaux, which counts several hotels and restaurants in the region.

“Being rooted in the Champagne region with our family-owned Relais & Châteaux Domaine Les Crayères since 1984, we care about having the least impact possible on our terroir and this magnificent region so deeply anchored in history,” Laurent Gardinier, the new president of the global hospitality association, tells Vogue. At the end of 2022, the brand published its first-ever sustainability report, which examined its own environmental impact and set a series of goals for the coming years, which involve reducing its collective carbon footprint and promoting biodiversity. 

The not-for-profit association is joined by a myriad of the country’s most iconic houses—including Taittinger, Moët & Chandon, and Telmont—all focused on preserving the environment, and with it, the region’s longstanding heritage. 

Those who enjoy drinking Champagne can partake in the efforts in at least one simple way: by choosing brands leading the sustainability efforts. “The only way to drink champagne sustainably is to drink sustainable champagne,” says Ludovic du Plessis, president of Telmont. “That means wine that has been produced and transported in a sustainable fashion.” 

The quickest means of ensuring your bottles of bubbles fall into that category, according to Domaine Les Crayères sommelier Martin Jean, is to “look for labels that assure you of a respectful approach to the terroir and a commitment to the environment.” The letters AB denote organic farming practices, for example, while Terra Vitis is a French agricultural certification for sustainable viticulture. 

More broadly, get to know environmentally-minded winegrowers and wineries, says the sommelier, especially those working with a “responsible agriculture” approach. Below, find five Champagne houses making strides toward sustainability, so that generations to come can experience the effervescent joy of popping bottles of bubbles. 

Telmont

Telmont published its first sustainability report in January, outlining how the 111-year-old house will work towards its goal of becoming the first climate-positive champagne house by 2030, and net positive by 2050. “If you really are looking for a sustainable champagne, look for those brands that are really transparent in the way they cultivate vines and produce wines,” Telmont president du Plessis says. To underscore the sentiment, currently, the house is working toward 100-percent organic agriculture, with 60 percent of its own estate and wine growers partners already either certified organic, or in conversion. Organic farming can translate to lower grape yields, but “it is indispensable,” says the president, “if we want to really respect and protect our terroir.” 

Telmont was also the first house to forgo gift boxes and extraneous packaging: it uses green bottles made from 85 percent recycled glass (as opposed to clear glass bottles made from zero recycled glass), and no longer ships its bottles via air, relying on less carbon-emitting sea and road transport. And if there was any further doubt about its mission, Telmont counts environmental champion Leonardo Dicaprio as an investor.

Taittinger

Family-run Taittinger received two environmental accreditations in 2017: the Viticulture Durable en Champagne (VDC)—which translates as sustainable vine-growing in Champagne—and the Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE). Relais & Chateaux has partnered with Taittinger, which “commits to a sustainable viticulture using the most advanced techniques in responsible farming practices,” says Lars Seifert, the association’s chief communications & sustainability officer. “This approach also includes the responsible management of water, use of fertilizers, and management of waste to preserve the biodiversity of the fauna and flora across the terroir and in the vineyards.” 

Moët & Chandon

Headquartered in picturesque Épernay, Moët & Chandon is the Champagne region’s largest landowner. With that distinction, says winemaker Marie-Christine Osselin, comes a great responsibility to protect the land and ecosystem. “Nature is at the core of our business, it is the source of our product, our legacy and we rely on it,” Osselin says. “With our ecosystem being threatened by climate change, our great challenge at Moët & Chandon is to preserve the exceptional natural heritage of the Champagne region and our savoir-faire while leading the way to a more sustainable luxury.” 

To that end, the maison has adopted sustainable viticulture practices since 2001, was the first in Champagne to invest in electric straddle tractors in 2012, and earned double certification in sustainable viticulture and HVE in 2014. Soil regeneration is also a key focus, which they tackle with eco-pasturing in the vineyards, including with the use of sheep to graze over the fields, thus helping eliminate the need for herbicides and reduce the need for tractors.

Pommery

After she was widowed in 1858, Louise Pommery took over her husband’s wine business. A visionary from the start, Madame Pommery was credited with, among other things, commercializing Brut champagne. The house continues this forward-thinking legacy with initiatives that include installing energy-efficient solar panels, and utilizing organic and biodynamic farming practices. In the last few years, beehives were introduced to the vineyards to help promote biodiversity. 

Bollinger

In 2012, Bollinger was the first wine house in France to be certified HVE, and has banned herbicide use throughout its vineyards since 2016. Besides its focus on healthy soil, the house also implements water conservation practices, like collecting rainwater for vineyard irrigation. On the company’s roadmap: shaving down the weight of its glass bottles by 7 percent. Champagne’s notably thicker bottles are necessary to account for the pressure created by carbon dioxide, a byproduct of fermentation, but using a lighter bottle will help reduce the shipping-related greenhouse gas emissions.