Wine Glass Half Full – A Cork-popping Historical Primer
'tis the season!
Are we already less than a month away from 2014? In just a few weeks we’ll be awash with sparkling wine, plastic hats and those ear-shattering metal spinners. Since we’re preparing to pop corks, it only seems appropriate to take a closer look at the history of Champagne and the bubbles that made it famous.
Though wine is made all over the world, it seems every wine-making nation, region, and village got started for one of two reasons: an attempt to do homage to classics (i.e. Chile's Central Valley and Bordeaux) or an attempt to one-up a neighbor. It could be argued that champagne started in exactly this way, in the eponymous region north of wine powerhouse Burgundy.
With all due respect to the Champenois, throughout most of the Middle Ages they were unable to create wines on the same level as that of their neighbors to the south, whose legendary vineyards persist to this day.* Champagne's relatively cold temperatures made viticulture challenging, and the tendency of their yeast to go dormant during the winter and proliferate in springtime led to—suffice to say—explosive results in certain cellars. Sparkling wine began as an accident, and for decades the Champenois were trying to get rid of the bubbles. One of the biggest proponents of correcting this “fault” was a Benedictine monk named Pierre "Dom" Perignon, whose name is emblazoned on one of the most famous champagnes in the world to this day.
Hey! Isn't that the guy from that 50 Cent song?
The irony is inescapable. At the same time, Dom Perignon successfully dedicated his life to improving the quality of Champagne wines (bubbles or not). Champagne became a legend among wine regions thanks to Perignon's indisputable viticultural and oenological contributions. Whether or not he knew his name would be associated with Louis Vuitton, James Bond, and hip-hop artists, however, is still up for debate.
Between champagne, the red wines produced near Avignon (Chateauneuf-du-Pape), the Trappist monks and the abbeys of Belgium, one can’t help but notice a pattern. The winemaking triumvirate of France, Italy, and Spain makes us wonder just how much influence the Church had (has) on the alcoholic beverage industry and its origins. Stay tuned as this self-professed wine & history geek finds out.
In the meantime, enjoy the rest of 2013, and please, don't actually "pop" those corks. Slow and steady keeps the eyes intact!
*For perspective’s sake, famously expensive Champagne labels such as Cristal or Krug fetch prices around $250-$300. Burgundy’s top wines, such as those made by Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, range from $1,000 to $15,000 per bottle.
Currently In the Aforementioned Glass—Fleury Brut. Zesty and mouthwatering, with notes of date, honey, pear, and apricots. Non-vintage Champagne done right.