Champagne. Who invented it?

I can’t live without champagne. I deserve it when I win, I need it when I lose.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821), French general and emperor

The history of champagne is closely linked to the history of France. Champagne, this wine of noble spirits, is the wine of the Enlightenment, the French Revolution and the subsequent Restoration. Champagne was sipped by both the authors of the Communist Manifesto and the representatives of capital. Bismarck toasted the Prussian-Bavarian treaty, which was signed in November 1870 and sealed the unity of Germany, not with a sparkling wine from the Moselle, but with champagne, even though France had declared war on Germany four months earlier.

The Dom Pérignon myth

And who invented it? Of course, the French claim that champagne was invented in France. From a monk who went by the name of Dom Pérignon. But for all their love of the country, the French don’t attach much importance to details – because that’s where the devil lies. And God lives in France.

The history of champagne: the sparkling discovery of the sailors

The history of champagne began at the beginning of the 17th century. The main characters are English beer drinkers – not French cellar masters. Wine was brought to England from Champagne by the barrel. This usually happened in winter, so that the cold interrupted some fermentations. Once the barrels arrived on the island, the English decanted the wine into bottles and corked them with real corks – something that was still unknown in France at the time. The practice of corking bottles super-tight has long been common in England for sealing beer bottles (in the time of the monk Dom Pérignon, wine bottles in France were sealed with a hemp-wrapped wooden stopper). When spring came and it got warmer in the pubs, the yeast woke up from its winter sleep and started the second fermentation, which is essential for champagne. The resulting carbon dioxide escaped with a loud bang when the cork was uncorked – and the English were very amused. Furthermore, as early as 1662, the Englishman Christoph Merret submitted a document to the Royal Society describing how wine can be brought to a second fermentation and thus to foam. Dom Pérignon had only been working as cellar master at Hautvillers Abbey since 1668 – six years too late to invent champagne.

Knights Templar, doves, Renois and La Fontaine

French history has played havoc with the province of Champagne. Among other things, the Knights Templar were extremely present in this corner, where Charles de Gaulle is also buried. I absolutely recommend guided tours. Especially in the cathedral of Reims. A lot of history was made in this cathedral. It was on Christmas Eve in the year 496 or 497 – depending on the source – but in any case shortly before the beginning of the fifth century AD. The Frankish king Clovis not only defeated the Roman militia in bloody battles, but also converted the Alemanni and Visigoths to Christianity in the church of Reims. This was done by St. Remi, the Bishop of Reims. And this is how: With very special holy water, which was brought by a dove sent by God, the unbelieving, primitive and predatory barbarians were transformed into believing, civilized Christians. Champagne also became the cradle of France and the future French nation. As an atheist, this all seems a bit mysterious to me, but the story is certainly interesting.

In addition to the cathedral and champagne, there is much to discover. For example, a visit to Renoir’s studio in Essoyes or the birthplace of the fabulist La Fontaine in Château-Thierry. If you would like to visit a champagne house, it is advisable to book your visit in advance.

“Champagne is the only wine that makes a woman even more beautiful after she has drunk it.” Madame de Pompadour.

But watch out!

Life in Champagne is sweet. A fact that many champagne lovers are often unaware of. Around three teaspoons of sugar are allowed in a bottle of champagne in the “brut” category (which accounts for 95 percent of all champagne sales worldwide). A bottle of demi-sec champagne contains three times as much sugar.

Sugar content in champagne

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