Page 37 - Biorefinery 2030 Future Prospects for the Bioeconomy (2015)

4 1 Unique, Multi-generational Development: A Lesson in Forward Planning

Marne, the Chalk Champagne Valley and the Plain of Troyes. They are all located
near one of the four rivers that cross the region (the Aisne, the Marne, the Aube and
the Seine). The soil in these areas is covered in rich, fertile, alluvial deposits,
geologically very different from the soil in Chalk Champagne region.
The region is bordered in the west by the hills of the Greater Paris region, which
overlook the chalk plain, and on the slopes of which the Champagne vineyards are
situated. In the east, on the other hand, the Co ˆte Champenoise, known as the Upper
cretaceous hills, is quite low (180–220 m at the most in the hills of Champagne). In
the north, between the Pays Re ´mois and the Valley of the Aisne, the Champagne
countryside gradually becomes that of Picardy. In the south, beyond the Seine, the
Champagne countryside progressively merges into the Pays d’Othe and the Valley
of the Yonne (Cf. Fig. 1.3).

1.2 Visual Appearance of the Chalk Champagne Region

Chalk is sedimentary rock formed by the accumulation of the calcareous deposits of
marine nanoplankton (algal group: Coccolithophores). It is white, porous, soft and
crumbly. It can hold large amounts of water and is thus susceptible to frost-
cracking.
This crumbly nature of the rock is responsible for the “soft” Champagne-
Ardenne topography, made up of low hills separated by small river valleys or dry
valleys.
The apparent uniformity of the vast chalk plain (Cf. Fig. 1.4) contrasts visually
with the cooler, more varied semi-wooded areas of the ‘Wet’ Champagne area,
surrounding the plain continuously from the northeast to the southeast and the Ile-
de-France Cuesta in the west.

1.3 The Champagne Climate

The climate in Champagne is mild and oceanic, although the winters are harsher
and the summers hotter than in the centre of the Parisian Basin. The rainfall is
spread throughout the year, which is an asset, avoiding the need for costly crop
irrigation. There are, however, significant differences in temperature and sunshine
between the north and the south of the region, which have an impact on the earliness
of plant life development. However, whilst overall the regional climate is consid-
ered favourable for agriculture, we should not forget that, despite technological
advances, agriculture is still subject to the vagaries of the weather; sometimes
rainfall is inadequate and late frosts are quite frequent.