Image featured above: Champagne Drappier. ©GregorySmith.wine.

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Michel Drappier, head of Champagne Drappier, spoke with me about being the first in the region to plant the recently approved Voltis grape variety.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

How many different grape varieties are authorized for the production of Champagne? Many believe there are three, but there are actually seven, and the new variety, Voltis, now brings the total number to eight. To review, the seven traditional varieties are, in alphabetical order, Arbane, Chardonnay, Meunier, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. For those unfamiliar with Arbane and Petit Meslier, these are very old varieties traditionally used in the Champagne blend but fell out of favor for various reasons. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in reestablishing these two varieties, particularly Petit Meslier, as the grapes maintain high levels of acidity in the region’s increasingly hot vintages. For those interested in trying unusual and difficult to find wines, Famille Moutard produces a rare Champagne Vielles Vignes made from 100% Arbane.

So why add this eighth variety to the others that have been grown in the region for centuries? According to Michel, “Global warming is a real issue. We all know that. Environment is a real concern too. The first problem is about surviving and the second about quality of life. Voltis is a trial to solve the two.” Of course, adding a new variety was not without objections. Michel went on to say many feared, “a big change in tradition and the risk of making Champagne different”. For this reason, Voltis is in a trial period lasting for ten years. If at the end of the trial the results are not positive, the variety will be removed from the cahier des charges, the region’s rules and regulations for producing Champagne. According to Michel, “some small tests have been made in experimental vineyards for years”, but Voltis was only officially added to the cahier des charges this year in an agreement among three key organizations: the INAO – Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité; the ODG –  Organisme de Gestion, itself part of the Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne; and the CIVC – Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne. The INAO is part of France’s Ministry of Agriculture and regulates agricultural products with PDOs (Protected Denominations of Origin). The ODG is the interlocutor of the INAO for all matters relating to the AOCs (Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées). The CIVC is a professional organization under the direction of the French government made up of the various professional groups which contribute to the successful production of Champagne: grape growers, wine merchants, Champagne houses, professional unions, and cooperative cellars.

What is the Voltis variety?
Voltis is recognized as a PIWI vine variety. The PIWI varieties have been developed to be naturally resistant to various types of fungi, which can be a major nuisance in wine producing regions with high levels of humidity. Various chemical treatments have been developed over the years, but these add additional production costs and, of course, can be detrimental to the environment and human health. The Germans have been particularly enthusiastic about the development of these varieties, hence PIWI is an acronym for the German “Pilzwiderstandsfähigen Rebsorten”, or “fungus-resistant grape varieties”. Voltis was bred at France’s INRA – Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, now known as INRAE – Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement specifically to be resistant to both downy and powdery mildews and has a complex parentage including genes from Vitis berlandieri, Vitis rotundifolia, Vitis rupestris, and Vitis vinifera. According to Michel, the vine resembles Chardonnay, and the grape skins are thin but strong. Most importantly, the grape clusters are rather loose, allowing air to circulate among them thereby avoiding trapped humidity. Michel indicated that other hybrid varieties were also considered but were rejected, some not showing sufficient resistance to fungi, others being too far from the Champagne style.

Of course, the INAO has specific stipulations for growing Voltis and the vinification of its wines. According to Michel, the vine must be managed exactly like any other authorized Champagne grape variety, but there are two restrictions: the area planted to Voltis may not exceed 5% of the producer’s total vineyard area, and in any wines produced Voltis may not exceed 10% of the cuvée.

Michel’s son, Hugo, planted 0.3 hectare (0.74 acre) of Voltis in the spring of 2023. Michel says the first Voltis wines should be produced in 2025, and if deemed of acceptable quality and included in a Champagne blend, we would not likely see the final wine until the end of the decade. When asked if a Champagne including Voltis in the blend would be available to the public, Michel replied, “If the quality and the quantity allow us to do a cuvée, then a limited edition will be available to the public.”
It is also worth mentioning that Voltis is the first hybrid grape variety allowed in any AOC – Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée.

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