Thursday April 8th, 2026 will go down as a historic moment for organic viticulture đż and the Avize Wine College. đ On this day, the Association des Champagnes Biologiques gave its first presentation to second-year students on the BTS Viti-Ćno course, đ represented by its director Antonin Aubry and its managing director Anne Bisiaux.
This meeting provided an opportunity to discuss regulations governing organic viticulture and winemaking, to present key figures for the organic Champagne sector, đŸ and to outline the role of the local network supporting and promoting organic production within the Champagne AOC đ€đŒ, which is run by the association. The students were also given a brief overview of the organic Champagne market in 2024: main export countries, average prices, and the profile of the winemakers involved.
The session concluded with a comparative tasting of two organic white wines đ· made from Pinot Meunier, both from the same plot in Congy đ and pressed in the same press, but vinified using two distinct methods: one in stainless steel tanks, the other in Burgundy oak barrels.
The students rose to the challenge brilliantly đđŒ, identifying, on the one hand, aromas of flint, chalk and pencil lead in the tank-aged wine, and, on the other, a rounder, creamier and fuller-bodied profile in the barrel-aged wine.
A thoroughly successful first experience! đ„
Thank you to Ms Portaluri đđŒ for organising this, and to the attentive and curious students! đ