The Champagne region of France, located about 90 miles due east of Paris. “Growers” own over 90 percent of the 84,000 acres of vineyards in the appellation but it is the Champagne “Houses” that produce the majority of the wine. The Houses need to buy grapes from the growers, and the growers need to sell their grapes to the Houses. This has led to a sort of pas de deux between the two parties where each relies on the other. But of course, it’s not as simple as that. It turns out that some Houses have their own vineyards and buy additional grapes from the growers. And while most growers sell the majority of their grapes to Houses, many keep the fruit and produce their own wines under their own label. Then there are growers who have banned together and formed cooperatives where they contribute their grapes to a common winery that produces Champagne for a specific label. Whew.