The Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars form remarkable agro-industrial landscape of the vineyards concentrating the production and trading functions. Heirs of the House of the Old Champgne fairs played a special role in the heart of the wine-growing sector which has its roots in Hautvillers, among the hills of Aÿ. The two nearest towns the Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims and the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay were entirely built on the wine-growing activity of Champagne. ‘The three ensembles that make up the property embody the Champagne terroir and serve as a living and a working environment and a showcase for traditional know-how. The hillsides of Hautvillers, Aÿ and Mareuil sur-Aÿ are engaged in the wine-growing practices continuously for at least four centuries’.
The greatest emblem is the Chemin Vert garden city in Reims. This is the place where the benchmark method of producing sparkling wine was born. Its processing site is called by the name of ‘vendangeoirs’.
Unesco observes that the ‘image of Champagne as a symbol of the French art of living, of festiveness and celebration, of reconciliation and victory (particularly in sport). Literature, painting, caricatures, posters, music, cinema, photography and even comics all testify to the influence and the constancy of this unique wine’s image……’.
The root of the name Champagne is in two names: ‘Champa’ and Anga; Champa was one of the six important cities of the ‘inhabited world’. A river was flowing in the region in the same name. The region was famous for its fragrant champaka flowers. It was in the neighbourhood of Mithila(Maithili/Metylene of the Bible). Some ancient texts ascribe Malini as the other name of Champa. Some other texts mention that Champa is also known as Kala-Champa. It was the birthplace of Varuna, a Naga King, and his wife. The city was under the Kingdom of Anga. Hermitage of Kasyapa was in Champa.
The history of the Champagne wine region is locked within the meaning of the term ’terroir’ which identifies the ancient Troy or Tyre, the Divine City of the ‘inhabited world’, which was at the centre of all world epics and mythologies. This term ‘terroir’ today means a climate and defines an environment suitable for wine producing; but in reality, it locates the region and the seat of Gods of the ancient world which was anciently not far away from Champa.
Wine-growing practice evolved first in the region of Mt Sumeru and it is associated with the name of Dionysus whose birthplaces was at Charax; Alexander during his India invasion time visited both, Mt Sumeru and Charax.
The viticultural boundaries of Champagne contains five wine producing districts within the historical province ; Aube, Cote des Blanc, Cote de Sezanne, Montagne de Reims and Vallee de la Marne; towns of Reims and Epernay are the commercial centres of the area. Reims is famous because it contains the venue of the coronation of the French Kings, and thus has been chosen as a heritage site of Unesco. Statue of Pope Urban II(1035-1099) is located in Champagne. He was also known by two other names : Odo and Eude ; Odo was a descendant of the noble family of Chatillon-sur-Marna.
Hautvillers—Ayutha-villers
Aÿ—short form for Yahweh/Ahura/Ayira
Mareuil sur-Aÿ—Makara-surya-Ahura; these three are names of places which are associated with name of Gods and they were all neighbourly to each other and neighbourly to Champa
Chemin Vert—Carmana-barta, name of a place
Reims—Ram/Rahim
Vendangeoirs—-Vendan-geoirs/
Aube—Oba/Urba
Cote des Blanc—Kota country/Baranga
Cote de Sezanne—Kota country of Su-zion
Montagne de Reims—Matanga settlement
Vallee de la Marne—Manna
Chardonnay—Choda settlement
Pont noir—Pont
Meunier—Manohar(means ‘beautiful’)
Nicaise Hill—Nysa/Naimisa Hill
© All rights reserved, 2022, Akhil Kumar Sahoo. Design : Maskin Coder India