Winston Churchill once said that meeting Franklin D Roosevelt was like opening his first bottle of champagne and knowing him was like drinking it! It's this capacity to generate excitement that makes champagne so special.
Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France under strict appellation and sourcing rules. The chalky earth of the Champagne region makes it ideal for growing the primary grapes used in Champagne production- Pinot Noir, Pinot Meusier and white Chardonnay.
It's interesting to note that with climate change French Champagne producers are now seriously checking out sites in the south of England to grow their Champagne grapes!
Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France under strict appellation and sourcing rules. The chalky earth of the Champagne region makes it ideal for growing the primary grapes used in Champagne production- Pinot Noir, Pinot Meusier and white Chardonnay.
It's interesting to note that with climate change French Champagne producers are now seriously checking out sites in the south of England to grow their Champagne grapes!
Fortnum & Mason Champagne Boxes
However, in many countries it's illegal to use the term 'Champagne' to describe a wine product, unless it comes from the Champagne region of France and is produced under their strict appellation rules.
In the early days, Champagne bottles often exploded, so producers started wearing iron masks in their cellars to protect themselves. The development of more sophisticated bottling practices and the use of deep cellars with constant temperatures largely cured the problem.
However, the ability of Champagne to 'pop' and for the bubbles to spill out when the cork is removed is a significant part of it's appeal.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries royalty began to drink Champagne extensively, so leading producers tried to associate their Champagnes with them for commercial purposes, through advertising and packaging. This led to Champagne becoming popular with the emerging middle classes and subsequently to the whole of society.
Champagne is known throughout the world as the ultimate drink for celebrations and is used extensively at special events such as weddings to toast newlyweds, to mark milestones and to applaud achievements.
Today, fine quality champagne is considered a mark of sophistication and is often supplied in beautiful wood champagne boxes to reflect it's traditional origins.
However, regardless of the type of Champagne packaging used, it's important to enhance the quality of the Champagne that it represents. After all, you wouldn't attend a black tie event in your working clothes, would you?
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