Within the delimited geographic area of 34,000 hectares defined by a law enacted on July 22, 1927, new plantings and/or replantings are strictly controlled. In 2001, 31,800 hectares were planted with vines. For the 323 different villages of Champagne, the law specifies:

• The exclusive planting of only three vine varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier
• Within any cru, or village, entitled to the Champagne appellation, plantings can only take place on expressly defined parcels not throughout the entire commune as in most other vine-growing regions
• New plantings are authorized by the European Union
• Replanting requires the uprooting, within the same parcel, of a vine covering the same area

Planting is also strictly controlled to encourage the vigor of the vine-stocks and the quality of the grapes. For example:

• Spacing between rows of vines must not exceed 1.5 meters
• Distance between vine-stocks in the same row must be between 0.9 and 1.5 meters;
• The sum of the space between rows and the distance between vine-stocks must be less than 2.5 meters
• Only four pruning methods are permitted and the maximum height of buds from the ground depends on the pruning system used: Chablis and Guyot short-cuts, 0.6 meters; Cordon de Royat and Marne Valley cuts, 0.5 meters
• The pruning cut must be short and in accordance with the cru and vine-stock. Only the Chablis and Cordon de Royat cuts are allowed for growths ranked from 90-100% in the Echelle des Crus; Guyot and Marne Valley cuts are permitted for lesser ranked parcels
• The pruning system for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines must be Chablis, Cordon de Royat or Guyot. The Marne Valley cut is authorized for Pinot Meunier only
• The right to the Champagne appellation applies only to those grapes obtained within a maximum yield per hectare, which is laid down every year by law