🍾 Vranken

Vranken is a Champagne house founded, according to the house, in 1976 by the young entrepreneur Paul-François Vranken, who settled in the Sézanne area. According to the house, it removed the cognac spirit from its cuvées from 1978, for lighter, fresher wines. According to the house, it grows a large share of the grapes it needs itself, the rest coming from partner growers.

The house’s home is the Villa Demoiselle in Reims: the villa was commissioned in the early 20th century by Henry Vasnier, heir to the Pommery house, and in 2008 it was restored by Paul-François and Nathalie Vranken in a style between Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Its cellars hold the “Millésimes d’Or” collection — according to the house, about 300,000 bottles from 46 vintages, the oldest from 1907. The house makes three ranges: Diamant, Demoiselle, whose blends are mostly Chardonnay, and Brut Nature, with no added sugar.

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. Disgorging is the removal of the lees after the second fermentation. Vranken is a brand; Champagne is the name of a place.

Why it matters to you. “Grand cru” on the label is not the house’s praise but a classification: grapes from villages ranked as grands crus of Champagne. Brut, millésime (vintage) and blanc de blancs are defined too. The WHO reminds: there is no safe level of alcohol.