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RE: Google Earth pearls #7: The geography behind Champagne
Thanks for sharing! I was there a few years back. What I noticed was that a lot of the smaller vineyard owners were telling the same story. It was that a few big brands (I believe Moet Chandon was the main one) are buying up more and more small vineyards. As a result (since the amount of land for Champagne is capped), more and more small Vineyards are disappearing and with them their wines. Don't know how bad it really is, but I found it kind of sad to hear.
Yes, I heard similar stories! I also know that they want to expand these 'Champagne worthy fields' since they the demand is getting too big. However, this creates the problem of who will be the lucky groundowner who suddenly will see the price of his land going from 10 000 dollars per hectare to over a million. I am pretty sure his neighbors won't be too happy...
I bet that fact makes the land directly next to the current Champagne region already more pricey. It's sort of like countries claiming international waters near their land once they found oil under the seabed. :)
Yes, probably! I just think it is so interesting. It's a perfect example of how the physical setting of a landscape can start a chain reaction of events, policies etc. That's what I want to show with my series of google earth imagery, except from showing nice pictures of course!
Great idea, I'll keep an eye out for the next one!