Champagne Varnier-Fannière is a small, family-run estate in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. They are based in the Grand Cru village of Avize, home to superstars like Agrapart and Selosse, and have top-quality... Read More

Champagne Varnier-Fannière is a small, family-run estate in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. They are based in the Grand Cru village of Avize, home to superstars like Agrapart and Selosse, and have top-quality holdings in the finest, chalk-laden terroirs.Yet the wines have always flown under the radar here in the States.

In 1947, Jean Fannière was among the first wave of growers to stop selling fruit to the grandes marques and take the risky step of vinifying and bottling his own wine. When Jean's grandson Denis took over in 1989, he began to push the quality even further with a focus on working the soil, picking fully ripe fruit and lowering dosage levels.

Champagne Varnier-Fannière quickly earned recognition as a pioneer in the grower Champagne movement. The estate became celebrated for top-quality farming and for producing a collection of deeply mineral, soulful, old-school wines bursting with chalky aromatics, ripe fruit, and a deliciously earthy edge. Denis sadly passed away in 2017; his wife Valerie picked up the reins and dedicated herself to continuing the family legacy. She approaches this work with deep love and respect, and we are so glad that she is there to carry on the torch.