Champagne prepares to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its Unesco listing

4 July 2015, the date the hills, houses and cellars of Champagne were listed by Unesco, did not mark the end of a journey”, stresses winegrower Séverine Couvreur who chairs the Unesco listing Mission. Rather, it was the beginning of a statement where “this region has things to tell the entire world. We want to let people know that Champagne is listed as Unesco World Heritage by emphasising our four essential values: pride, visibility, knowledge sharing and commitment”.

On top of the major festival slated for 4 July 2025 in Champillon, next year will be the stage for numerous initiatives aimed at bringing this global recognition to life.

“Our aim is to bring colour to the events planned across the region”, adds Couvreur. “In January 2025, we will be taking part in the procession organised by the arch-fraternity for the Saint Vincent festival and will be ending the year with the Habits de Lumières in December 2025 in Epernay”. Hedges and roses will also be planted to complement a significant participation in the ‘clean Villages and Hillsides’ initiative that takes place every year on the first Saturday in October, just after the harvest.

“We will be engaging with winegrowers and Champagne houses so that they become involved in the celebration”, continues Couvreur. “They will be able to add the anniversary logo to their email signature or their POS material and organise activities promoting heritage and biodiversity for example”. Meetings with the Champagne winegrowers’ organisation SGV and Champagne house organisation UMC are scheduled in a bid to coordinate initiatives and provide a boost.