Do you know the secret code on champagne bottles?

In French, Récoltant-Manipulant, or Grower champagne, is produced by the estate that owns the vineyards and grows the grapes.

Big champagne houses like Mumm, Veuve Clicquot, and Moët et Chandon use grapes from different vineyards they don’t own to produce a house style with a unique and consistent taste, quality, and style. All good things.

On the other hand, Grower Champagne is terroir-forward and reflects the ground it’s grown on. Grower Champagne is made from a single vineyard or vineyards clustered in a village area and made with grapes that can vary year to year depending on climatic growing conditions. FYI, only a small percentage of Champagne in the USA is Grower Champagne, about 5%.

Champagne labels include a two-letter designation identifying who grows the grapes and controls production.

RM 20514-01 is an example of a Champagne designation, as it would appear on a label for RM (Récoltant-Manipulant) or Grower Champagne. With RM champagne, the grower controls the production process.

SR Société de Récoltants is a firm set up by multiple growers who share the same winery and sell Champagne using their label. The growers are significantly involved in the winemaking process.

CM Coopérative-Manipulant is a cooperative of growers who blend the products of their collective vineyards. They sell using one or more brands, and the individual grower has limited involvement in the winemaking process.

Less involvement by the grower

RC Récoltant-Coopérateur is a wine sourced from a single grower and made by a cooperative winemaking facility, then sold under the grower’s brand with very little involvement grower in the winemaking process.

Large producers, re-branding, reselling.

NM Négociant-Manipulant appears on the labels of large Champagne houses that don’t grow a significant part of their grapes but buy them and produce Champagne. For example, Mumm is one of the largest champagne producers in the world.

MA Marque d’Acheteur, or Brand of the Buyer, is where a large retail or restaurant purchases Champagne and resells it under its label.

ND Négociant Distributeur is a buyer that re-labels and distributes Champagne.

Note: when serving Champagne or sparkling wine, it should be chilled to the ideal temperature range of 8 – 10°C (46.4°F – 50°F). This Laser Wine Thermometer reads the internal temperature of the wine in the bottle before you pop the cork!!   

Suppose you’re interested in finding Grower Champagne available in your area. Here’s a Forbes article listing multiple offerings: Grower Champagne in the USA.