Most Champagne sold in the United States is “Négociant-Manipulant” – made by a large house that buys grapes from many growers and blends to a consistent house style. The big houses do this very well; their best cuvées are world class. But there is another category most American wine drinkers have never heard of, and it is where the most interesting Champagne is being made today.

What “Grower Champagne” means

A grower Champagne is made by the same person who farmed the grapes. The label says “Récoltant-Manipulant” or carries the small “RM” code in the bottom-left corner. There are about 5,000 grower-producers in Champagne – mostly tiny, family-run estates farming a few hectares.

A grower Champagne tastes like a specific place. A Selosse from Avize tastes like Avize. An Egly-Ouriet from Ambonnay tastes like Ambonnay. Both styles are valid; they are different products.

Producers worth tracking

A starter list: Pierre Péters and Larmandier-Bernier (Côte des Blancs), Chartogne-Taillet (Merfy), Egly-Ouriet (Ambonnay), Vilmart (Rilly-la-Montagne), Bérêche (Ludes), Ulysse Collin (Côte de Sézanne). For $50-$80 bottles: Pierre Gerbais, René Geoffroy, Marc Hébrart, Tarlant.

How to drink it

Lower-dosage than the big-house style means drier wines that feel more like serious white wine than a celebration drink. They pair with raw fish, roast chicken, hard cheeses, almost any first course. Serve at 50-55°F in a white wine glass – not a flute.

Once you start drinking grower Champagne, the big houses begin to taste like a brand. Both have their place, but the grower bottles are where the wine writers are spending their own money.

For collectors interested in Selosse, Cédric Bouchard, or Jacques Lassaigne allocations, join the allocated waitlist.