With over 1.5 billion viewers worldwide, the FIFA World Cup is a massive phenomenon that brings soccer fans and casual viewers together from across the globe. As the games kick off in the United States on June 12th, it is time for the celebrations to begin. What better way to celebrate than with The Official Champagne of the FIFA World Cup™? Let’s take a look at the iconic Champagne house behind FIFA.
What is Champagne Taittinger?
Champagne Taittinger is an iconic Champagne house from Champagne, France that is one of the very few remaining family-owned and operated Champagne houses. There are over 1,000 Champagne brands. Among them, there are only 24 Grande Marques. Of those 24, Champagne Taittinger is the only Grande Marque family owned and run by sister and brother – descendants of the original founding family.
READ MORE: Champagne Taittinger – The Official Champagne of the FIFA World Cup – Wine 365
History
In 1915, when Pierre Taittinger was a young cavalry officer serving in the First World War, his company headquarters was at the Château de la Marquetterie, two miles from Epernay near the Marne River. He was absolutely captivated by the 18th-century residence and promised himself one day he would buy it if the opportunity arose.
Fast forward to September 1930, he acquired the venerable Champagne firm of Forest-Foruneaux. Originally founded in 1734, it was the third oldest Champagne house in existence at the time. Pierre began restructuring and expanding its vineyard holdings into some of the finest producing areas of Champagne.
Two years later, he kept his promise to purchase the Château de la Marquetterie and its surrounding vineyards as well as the Comtes des Champagne residence in downtown Reims.
What makes Champagne Taittinger special?
Taittinger is distinguished for its extensive vineyard holdings of 712 acres, which includes prestigious Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims regions. Unlike most large Champagne houses, Taittinger uses primarily estate grapes for its portfolio of Champagne utilizing their extensive vineyard holdings.
Another unique aspect is that Taittinger uses a higher proportion of Chardonnay in its wines that gives its signature Taittinger style. All Champagne must be made with either Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Pinot Meunier, but Chardonnay is regarded as the most distinguished varietal for Champagne. The Taittinger dedication to utilizing more Chardonnay than others make its Champagnes elegant and delicious. Additionally, they also devote more time than legally required to aging the wines to ensure the bubbles are smooth and sparkling. These signature styles have become a Taittinger hallmark.
FIFA x Champagne Taittinger
Champagne Taittinger and FIFA have celebrated more than a decade of collaboration, where they joined forces right before the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014™. The two iconic brands have renewed their agreement to continue their collaboration through the end of 2030. This means that Champagne Taittinger will be the Official Champagne of upcoming FIFA events, which includes the FIFA World Cup 26™, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ as well as the FIFA World Cup 2030™.
“We are sincerely honored to continue our adventure with FIFA. After three editions of both the FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, this is an honor for our independent company, its savoir-faire and its teams. Football is not only a wonderful, popular and ‘sparkling’ sport, it is a universal culture and passion, a universal link between all the nations.” – President Vitalie Taittinger
READ MORE: FIFA and Taittinger Extend Official Champagne Agreement Through 2030
Limited-Edition Champagne Taittinger FIFA Bottle
As the Official Champagne of The FIFA World Cup™, Taittinger has released a new limited-edition bottle that brings the FIFA energy to life. The bottle has a holographic design with the colors of each of the three host countries – United States, Mexico, and Canada. The design was created to mirror the energy of a soccer ball and the bubbles rising in a Champagne flute. It is a tribute to the collective energy and universal passion the FIFA World Cup™ inspires.
The Champagne Taittinger Brut Reserve FIFA 2026 bottle is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier wines from over 35 different villages. Made with 40% Chardonnay grapes, this is a higher proportion of Chardonnay than other fine nonvintage Champagnes, making it a unique bottle. The wine is aged between 3-4 years on the lees, which is over twice as long required by AOC law. This adds elegance and smoothness to the bubbles while enhancing the aromas and tasting notes. It is a subtle, pale gold color with delicate aromas of peach, white flowers, vanilla pod, and brioche on the nose with flavors of fresh fruit and honey on the palate.
Where can you find Taittinger?
