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July
07
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History of Champagne
Without question, champagne is the most admired and praised drink in
the world. It is suitable for many occasions and moments in a
person’s life: for romantic dates, for engagements, for promotions,
wedding parties, holidays, for sad and for happy moments. Or, if you
are a true admirer, you can drink champagne just for fun, and for
the sake of the passion for this wine. And let’s not forget the
immortal Dom Perignon, the symbol of good taste and extravagance.
But how does the story of the champagne wine go?
In order to be accorded with the name Champagne, a wine must be made
from the Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or Chardonnay grapes grown in the
departments of the Marne, Aube, Aisne, Seine-et-Marne and
Haute-Marne, in France. The name of the process of secondary
fermentation in the bottle that produces sparkling wines is called
Method champenoise. This process must take place within the
Champagne region.
Champagne, which is a region situated at about 145 kilometers
northeast of Paris, consists of some 35,000 hectares (86,000 acres),
over two-thirds of which has been planted. There are 250 different “crus”,
or villages within the region, which can be divided into five main
areas: the Montagne de Reims (the Pinot Noir grape grows best here),
the Vallée de la Marne (Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir both grow well
here), the Côte des Blancs south of Epernay (Chardonnay likes it
best here), the Aube district and the Côte de Sézanne. In this area,
there are 17 big “crus”, all with 100% vineyard rating. Beyond this
region, Champagne cannot be made. All the vineyards in Champagne are
ranked on a 100-point scale; vineyards rated 100% are grands crus
while those rated 90-99% are premiers “crus”.
The first known vineyards were established here around 50 AD, but
were eventually destroyed in 92 AD by the order of the Emperor
Domitian. The motif was that the emperor considered that wine in the
hands of the locals was not in the best interests of the Empire. The
vineyards were replanted in 202 AD by edict of the Emperor Probus
who was the son of a gardener.
In later centuries, as the Roman domination of the area continued to
slip, the province knew many barbaric invasions, primarily by the
Alamans and then the Franks who, under Roman law, were banned from
buying wine. These invasions caused the destruction of the region of
Reims in the year 355 AD and again in 406 AD. When the Frank King,
Clovis made the conversion to Christianity, this event made Reims
the center of the church in France, which prompted the industrious
monastic involvement in the vineyards and in wine production. With
the demise of the Frankish Empire, at the death of the king
Charlemagne, the Champagne region, because of its location, was
little by little absorbed by France. This process was completed in
1285 by the marriage of the heiress of Champagne, Jeanne, to the
heir to the French throne, Philip the Fair. And somewhere along the
way of this story is the time when Dom Perignon came to life, with
the help of Pierre Perignon,.the Benedictine Monk at the Abbey of
Hautville near Riems in France, around the years 1700. and from that
point on, the legendary Dom Perignon goes on, and will continue to
travel in time, as an experience of excellent taste.
By
Emma Everson
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Happy shopping.
Indulge your senses,
Leslie Maliepaard
WineWeb.co.za Editor
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