Champagne Acronyms Explained
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Champagne Acronyms Explained
In celebration of July – The Time for Bubbles, we thought we’d do an educational piece on Champagne label acronyms of all things. Let’s get started….
Ever pick up a bottle of Champagne, get it home and notice acronyms on the label, and then wonder what they heck they mean? Well, below is a run down of what these acronyms mean in hopes to help you in your next champs (pronounced with a soft ‘h’) purchase!
(NM) Négociant Manipulant: A champagne maker that does not grow their own grapes. Veuve Clicquot falls into this category.
(CM) Co-opérative de Manipulation: This indicates that the grapes used to make the champagne came from several grape growers, who pooled their harvests together.
(SR) Société du Récoltant: Similar to the CM designation, but all of the growers have a say in the champagne making process.
(RM) Récoltant Manipulant (few in existence, but well worth the try): Champagne makers who also grow their own grapes. Note, however, these champagne makers are allowed to get 5 per cent, and no more, of their grapes elsewhere.
(RC) Récoltant Coopérateur: A champagne maker who’s grapes come from a cooperative facility. The grapes used in this champagne are usually selected through a special process, tailored to makers champagne production.
(MA) Marque d’Acheteur: This is what you’ll see if champagne maker creates a line for another business, therefor labeling it under the third party brand
(ND) Négociant Distributeur: This represents a distributor who has no part in creating the champagne, but sticks their own label on it and distributes the champagne widely.
Header image courtesy of: Flickr, The Mister Sam