🍾 Ayala

Ayala is a Champagne house in Aÿ, in the Marne department. According to the house, it was founded in 1860 by Edmond de Ayala and has been located in Aÿ ever since; the house calls the similarity between the surname and the village name a coincidence. In 1882 Ayala was one of the founding members of the Syndicat des Grandes Marques, today the Union des Maisons de Champagne.

According to the house, in 1865 it launched a “dry” Champagne with only 21 g/l of sugar, when the usual French dosage exceeded 150 g/l. In 2007 the house got a new winery. It builds its style on Chardonnay, reserve wines and low dosage. The range includes Brut Majeur, Rosé Majeur, Le Blanc de Blancs, Brut Nature and Perle d’Ayala.

Champagne is a wine with a protected designation of origin (PDO). The bubbles come only from a second fermentation in the bottle, the wine is aged for at least 15 months before sale (36 for vintage), and all production takes place only within the delimited area. Ayala is a brand; Champagne is the name of a place.

Why it matters to you. The sugar terms on the label are now set by EU rules: brut nature means less than 3 g/l and no added sugar, brut no more than 12 g/l. Blanc de blancs is defined too, while “Majeur” or “Perle” are the house’s own names. The WHO reminds: there is no safe level of alcohol.