Where is PinotMeunier grown mainly in France? How is the wine made?

Pinot Meunier is an early-sprouting and early-ripening variety that adds fruit to the blend, and is one of the three grape varieties used to make Champagne with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

With 11,088 hectares planted in France in 2009, Monierpinot is the second largest red grape variety in Champagne after Pinot Noir, although its name is rarely seen on French wine labels. This variety was once widely cultivated in northern France, but is now mainly distributed in Champagne regions, especially in the north-facing, frost-prone vineyards of the Marne Valley, where Monier Pinot grows with a higher acidity than Pinot Noir and a similar sweetness, bringing fresh fruit to the blend.

Outside Champagne, Monierpinot is cultivated in very few areas, but it is still a well-known variety in the Loire and eastern regions, as well as in the Touraine and Mosel regions.