04/09/2026
If you think Ch*****ne is expensive, try buying the vineyard first.
People often complain about the price of Ch*****ne, comparing it to their favourite local sparkling w**e and wondering why on earth a bottle of ch*****ne should cost so much more. What they sometimes forget is that the price of Ch*****ne starts long before the bottle, cork and label … it starts in the vineyard.
Land in Ch*****ne is extraordinarily expensive, and while it may not be the most expensive vineyard land in the world, prime parcels in prestigious Grand Cru areas such as the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims can go for a staggering €1.5–€2 million per hectare. Premier Cru parcels can range from around €800,000 to €1.5 million, standard Ch*****ne AOC land from €600,000 to €900,000, while even the Côte des Bar in the Aube can sit around €250,000–€500,000 per hectare.
And these are only broad guidelines; location, classification, terroir, supply and demand all have a significant impact, with vineyards changing hands very rarely. Then add the cost of planting and maintaining vines, harvesting by hand, pressing, blending, bottles, corks, labels, cellar space, years of ageing, riddling, disgorgement, dosage, storage, transport, labour, regulations, and the simple fact that Ch*****ne must spend considerably longer sleeping in a cellar before it can wake up and make its grand entrance into your glass.
Remember, you’re not just paying for what’s in the bottle. And that’s why Ch*****ne deserves to be appreciated on its own terms, rather than compared to your local sparkling w**e made just down the road.
Image credit: Acouvreux via Ay Ch*****ne Experience
