Transcript:

For nearly 300 years, the winemaker Maison Ruinart has made Champagne in northern France.

The region’s cool weather helps the grapes ripen to just the right conditions for making crisp, bright wines.

But as the climate warms, the grapes are ripening earlier and faster.

And Caroline Fiot, Maison Ruinart’s cellar master, says they no longer reach their ideal sugar-to-acid balance and aroma simultaneously.

Instead, these features sometimes mature at different rates, which changes the grapes’ flavor.

Fiot: “In 2025, we had the sugar level, which was reached at a given moment, but the aromatic maturity was not ready.”

So they had to wait to harvest, and as a result, the grapes had more sugar.

To adapt, Maison Ruinart is leaning into the change and embracing the unpredictable. They’ve created Blanc Singulier, a collection of Champagnes made from grapes grown in years with atypical weather.

It’s specifically designed to highlight the altered flavor of the grapes.

Fiot: “Blanc Singulier is a response to climate change and is also a way for us to raise this awareness about climate change.”

So it’s an innovative way for the Champagne-maker to continue its legacy.

Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media