What Does ‘Grower Champagne’ Mean?

Grower Champagne can only be called a Grower Champagne if all the grapes used in producing your Champagne were grown on vines in your own vineyards/estate, rather then purchasing grapes from other third party vineyards.

Grower Champagne is referred to in French as Récoltant-Manipulant

Récoltant-Manipulant can also be identified as RM on a label.

Not all Champagne Houses have enough hectares of vines to meet their expected production, such as Moët et Chandon, Mumm and Veuve Clicquot, these houses have to purchase grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards and then blend all the grapes together to make their bottles of Champagne.

There are over 19,000 independent growers in the Champagne region, accounting for nearly 88% of vineyard land in the region; around 5,000 of these growers produce wine from their own grapes. Wikipedia.

In 2014 only %5 of Champagne imported into the United States was Grower Champagne

When Grower Champagnes are made, the winemakers tend to focus more on the terroir, using grapes from a single vineyard or vineyard.

Grower Champagnes have been described as “artisanal winemaking” with terroir being at the forefront for each wine

There are over 19,000 independent growers in the Champagne region, accounting for nearly 88% of all vineyard land in the region. Around 5000 of these growers produce wine from their own grapes. The larger Champagne houses have holdings in only 12% of the region’s vineyards, making it a necessity for them to buy grapes from independent growers.[1] Under current Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) regulations, there are strict limitations on planting. Some growers are seeing an economic advantage in making wine from their own grapes, especially if they have land in one of Champagne’s Grand cru villages, rather than selling them to the larger houses where they become part of a generic blend.[5]

Grower Champagnes can be identified by “RM” on the wine label

RM (meaning Récoltant-Manipulant)

• The initials NM (meaning Négociant-Manipulant) appear on the labels of large Champagne houses that source the majority of their grapes rather than growing them.
• CM (meaning Coopérative-Manipulant) is a co-operative of growers who blend the product of their collective vineyards to sell under one or more brands. In this situation the individual grower may have some involvement in the winemaking process.
• RC (meaning Récoltant-Coopérateur) is a wine sourced from a single grower but made entirely for him by a co-operative winemaking facility. While the wine is sold under the grower’s own brand, he will often have had very little if any involvement in the winemaking process.
• SR (meaning Société de Récoltants) is a registered firm set up by two or more growers who share the same winery which they use to make wine to sell under their own label. This designation differs from a CM in that the growers almost always have significant involvement in the winemaking process.

Hints on the Champagne Label:
In total, there are 7 official producer types that are identifiable by two letters small print at the bottom of the front label. Use these letter as a hint to the producer type, but remember, there are occasionally exceptions to these regulatory classifications:
NM
‘Négociant Manipulant’ A producer who buys all or some of their grapes from other growers. Anything less than 94% estate fruit must be labeled NM. Maison Champagne is labeled with this producer class, but it’s not entirely uncommon to see grower Champagne under this classification as well.
CM
‘Coopérative Manipulant’ A grower’s co-op that pools resources and produces wine under a single brand.
RM
‘Récoltant Manipulant’ A grower-producer who uses a minimum of 95% estate fruit. This is classically considered the grower Champagne producer type, although, it’s possible for a Maison to use this classification on a sub-label or brand.
SR
‘Société de Récoltants’ A union of growers who shares resources and collectively markets their own brands.
MA
‘Marque d’Acheteur’ aka ‘Buyer’s Own Brand’ A large retail or restaurant that buys a finished wine and sells it under their own private label.
ND
‘Négociant Distributeur’ A buyer who labels and distributes Champagne that they didn’t grow nor produce.
RC
‘Récoltant Coopérateur’ A grower-producer who has their own Champagne brand made at a co-op facility.