The Story of Champagne

Champagne is a blended wine that is bottled before the 2nd fermentation takes place for this reason it contains natural carbonic acid. It use to be normal to drink Champagne at dinner time, today champagne is an expensive drink for a sparkling aperitif , we drink a toast to happy beginnings and endings or as Napoleon Bonaparte once said; After victory champagne is what you deserve, after loss you need it.

Label of a bottle of Champagne must contain 8 different points:
1.The name of the wine
2.The producer (the wine farmer)
3.Place of origin
4.Year of publication
5.Elaboré par; the name of the producer who has processed the wine into champagne
6.The name and address of the owner/producer and 2 capital letters, it is an obligation to mention the in letters to indicate if the producer is a wine farmer or a merchandiser.
7.Alcohol percentage, obligated since 1988
8.Statement of the amount, obligated since 1979

Alexander the 2nd didn’t found it suitable that the tsaar family drank the same champagne as the normal citizens so he assigned Champagne house Louis Roederer to produce an exclusive and expensive new Champagne, The Cristal is the result of one of the best Champagnes Champagne House Louis Roederer created in 1876, for 41 years this Champagne was exclusively bottled in real crystal bottles.

The company of Phillipe Cliquot opened its doors in 1772, Veuve Clicquot is a sample of fantastic marketing already 200 years ago. The widow Clicquot-Ponsardin (she once was married with the son of Phillipe Clicquot but he died young) was compelled to take over the champagne business when she was only 28 years old. Together with her teacher in wine, she needed to develop the wine techniques, but she was great in marketing. Nicole Barbe-Ponsardin wanted her label to have the colour of a fresh, healthy chicken egg, one that is fed with corn ; the yellow-orange colour is a world famous, and is a protected as the “Cliquot-orange”.

Veuve Clicqouts speciality is La Grande Dame Rosé, they needed to wait to bear the rich harvest of the year 1988 before La Grande dame Rosé appeared on stage.

Bollinger Grande Année was the result of 3 producers; Jacques Bollinger, Paul Renaudin and the count of Villermont. A large percentage of the grape pinot noir is used an the wine has an extra long ripening process, which stand for stronger flavours. Lilly Bollinger who joined the 3 pact later died young and didn’t had any children, it are Lillys nephews who are continue the family business.

It is 007 or also known as James Bond favourite drink, perhaps not a strange choice if you know that James Bonds character is from the same strong calibre as a Bollinger.

The Cuvée Grande Année is only produced in exceptional wine years. Extremely exclusive is also cuvee Vieilles Vignes Francaises, only in the best years 2000 bottles are made.

Moet a,d Chandon Dom Perignon is the most know champagne, probably every second a bottle of Dom Perignon is opened. Inspite of a high industrial production there is no reason to doubt the qualities of this champagne. Moet is in procession of 768 ha wine yard and produces over 31 million each year. Many years ago they made an appeal to Alfons Mucha, a incredible pioneer of the art Nouveau movement, he made a label of a scantily dressed godess who had to promote the brand name Moet and Chandon.

As a tribute to history of the champagne house the rarest champagnes were fled together in one champagne, this champagne is composed out of 11 different and very remarkable champagnes from 1900 until 1995. Only 323 Magnums were filled, 50 of these Magnums were bricked in Epernay and will be taken out in 2043, when Moet and Chandon celebrates its 300 years existence.