Actualité: 10th Anniversary of Champagne Region’s UNESCO Inscription

In July 2015, the Champagne region was inscribed onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List, a deserving recognition of the region’s cultural and historical significance.  UNESCO World Heritage sites must hold “outstanding universal value.” The Champagne designation specifically honours:

• Hillsides: the regions’ vineyard slopes, including Hautvillers, Aÿ, and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
  
  
• Houses: the grand Champagne Maisons, including the production facilities in Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims and Avenue de Champagne in Épernay
  
  
• Cellars: the extensive, underground chalk cellars where the millions of bottles rest patiently in ideal conditions

These components together form a living testimony to the region’s deep-rooted winegrowing traditions.

The nomination was the result of a decade-long campaign led by local producers, historians and the Comité Champagne. Their collective effort emphasised the Champagne region’s influence on the global identity of luxury, celebration and craft. The recognition also places Champagne alongside other esteemed wine regions like Burgundy and the Douro Valley, reinforcing its global prestige.

Beyond its symbolic value, UNESCO status brings tangible benefits, including increased tourism, heightened international awareness and additional protections for the region’s heritage. It also underscores the importance of preserving traditional methods in the face of industrialisation and climate change.

Champagne is more than a drink: it is a cultural icon. The UNESCO inscription ensures that the land, techniques, and legacy behind each bottle are celebrated and safeguarded for future generations.

In Sydney this month we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO  inscription with Champagne Bureau Australia, raising a glass to the Champagne region in front of our own UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iconic Sydney Opera House, with a long lunch at Aria Restaurant.

It was a celebration of excellence, where the best of Australian produce met some of the finest Champagne houses and grower producers. Highlights included seafood from the South Coast of New South Wales, Western Australian Black Marron and Northern Queensland Coral Trout. The show-stopping dessert of Pear, Mochi & Vanilla was a perfect finale, beautifully echoing the sails of the Opera House.

Thank you to John Noble and Champagne Bureau Australia for the invitation to this celebration, and to Belinda Rolland Photography for capturing the event!