Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy, who has 14 hectares in the Vallee de la Marne, is the fifth generation in his family to grow grapes in the region. While his family has always made a little wine, they began to emphasize Champagne production in the bad years after World War II, when they were unable to sell their grapes to the big houses. In the 1970s Mr. Geoffroy's father decided to keep all the grapes and turn them into Champagne. Walking through a hillside vineyard in Cumieres overlooking the Marne, Mr. Geoffroy's parcels were easy to distinguish from the others.