🍾 De Castellane

De Castellane is a Champagne house in Épernay, in the Marne department. According to the house, it was founded in 1895 by Viscount Florens de Castellane, who chose the St Andrew’s cross for his labels in tribute to the banner of the oldest regiment of Champagne. In 1907 the brand was acquired by the firm Union Champenoise, which housed it in its buildings on the Avenue de Champagne.

According to the house, from 1902 it commissioned advertising posters from the artist Leonetto Cappiello, and in 1999 it joined the Laurent-Perrier group while remaining in the same family’s hands. The house’s website lists brut, rosé, vintage and demi-sec Champagnes.

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. De Castellane is a brand; Champagne is the name of a place.

Why it matters to you. The red cross on the label is the brand’s emblem, not a quality mark. The terms set by the rules are others: brut, demi-sec, millésime (vintage), blanc de blancs. The WHO reminds: there is no safe level of alcohol.