The History of Champagne
"I am drinking the stars," Dom Perignon proclaimed upon sipping champagne for the first time in 1690. Winston Churchill stated, "A good cigar and champagne is a piece of heaven." Victories are celebrated and tears soothed with bottles of champagne since the 17th century around the world. Instantly recognized from the pop of the cork to its overflowing bubbles like no other beverage, champagne is the world's favorite wine. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Vineyard Location
-
One-hundred miles east of Paris lay the heart of champagne country. The fertile rural farmland of Epernay, Bouzy, Chalon-en-Champagne, and Verzenay and Reims has the major vineyards located in the Marne Valley and the mountains of Reims. Vineyards grow best in a layer of fertilized soil covered with a deep layer of chalk. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes are the only type planted in the vineyards by French law.
Early Vineyards
-
Homemade wines by local farmers were a staple of French living in the champagne region since biblical times. Merchants encouraged trade shows in the area, Fairs of Champagne, by the 9th century. The commerce created a boom to the farmers who sold their brew. The nearby Reims cathedral was selected as the coronation site for the king in 986 A.D., and Reims hosted all coronations for the next 1,000 years. Champagne's monasteries became the main wine producers for the ceremonies.
-
Dom Perignon
-
A Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, became the treasurer for the Abby of Hautvillers near Epernay in 1688, and managed the wine making. Dom Perignon decided to harvest grapes in September to get a fresher flavor instead of summer. He developed a horizontal wine press and used it close to the vineyards to press the grapes lightly to get the highest quality. He used English bottles with longer necks and cork stoppers to keep bottles from exploding. Dom Perignon produced the first bottles of champagne in 1690 and died in 1715.
New Regulations
-
By 1728, King Louis XV changed champagne laws by permitting wine transported in bottles instead of wooden caskets with Ruinart as France's first champagne company. Seven years later, a new regulation established the standards for champagne bottle size and shape, and corks with the type of thread to wrap around the top. The era of champagne houses flourished replacing the monasteries, and in 1743 Claude Monet started the House of Monet.
Champagne Riots
-
The French Government in 1908 decided that wine could only carry the name champagne when made from grapes grown in that region. Wineries received penalties for using grapes grown from nearby Aube. The rule set off the champagne riots in 1911 that severely damaged all major houses and destroyed some vineyards. The government amended its regulation in 1927 by creating a second champagne zone from Aube to Seine-et-Marne.
Difficult Times
-
After World War I, the cities restored the devastated vineyards. In a few years, Bollinger, Irroy, Mumm and Perrier had wineries with 20 million sales total. The U.S. stock market crash and Prohibition Act crippled the champagne industry. The major houses and farmers set grape prices in 1934 to counter the effect of the U.S. depression. After World War II, champagne sales quadrupled from 1945 to 1966, and today, in 2010, champagne is no longer a luxury item, but an affordable treat to enjoy throughout the year.
-
References
- Photo Credit champagne image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
