Duval-Leroy is a Champagne producer based in Vertus, a village in the Côte des Blancs region of Champagne. The house, founded in 1859, produces both vintage and non-vintage cuvées as well as a line of organic wines.The house of Duval-Leroy is also known for its pioneering role in promoting a sustainable development model for its viticulture. Founded in 1859 when Edouard Leroy, a wine trader from the town of Villers-Franqueux, formed a partnership with Jules Duval, a grape-grower and winemaker from Vertus, Duval-Leroy comprises 200 hectares (490 acres) of vines under cultivation. This vineyard consists mostly of chardonnay grapes grown in villages classified as Grand Cru and Premier Cru, and pinot noir grapes from villages, also classified as Grand Cru and Premier Cru, in the Montagne de Reims. Since 1991, and the early death of Jean Charles Duval, the company has been run by his widow, Carol Duval-Leroy. She has presided over the steady growth of the company, and has left her mark on the champagne world as well, becoming, in 2007, the first woman ever to be nominated chairman of the Association Viticole Champenoise (AVC), the champagne region 's winemakers association.