15 Champagne Facts and Rumors
15 Champagne Facts and Rumors
A Premium Wine Wanderings Newsletter
There are more stories and rumors about Champagne than about any other wine in history. Why does this drink evoke so much lore? Why have important figures in history talked about its importance and effects? Remember, you can only call it “Champagne” if it comes from the Champagne region of France. Otherwise, you must call it a sparkling wine. Let’s explore the top 15 Champagne rumors and facts and develop some conclusions and recommendations. See also Wine Wanderings “Champagne – a Taste and Tour of History.”
See Below for my Top Luxury and Value Recommendations.
15 Champagne Rumors and True Facts
1. James Bond drinks Champagne often. He has imbibed more than 35 times in his films…more times than he partook of his famous martini made in his signature style, “shaken, not stirred.” He drinks his Champagne, “slightly chilled.”
2. True Use: In the 19th century, many high society men thought the best use of Champagne was for polishing their boots.
3. Number of Bubbles: There are roughly 49 million bubbles in a 750ml bottle of Champagne.
4. Wimbledon Drinking: 28,000 Bottles of Champagne are drunk at Wimbledon each year.
5. Accidental Champagne: True or False: In the early days of Champagne, this sparkling wine was produced by accident. TRUE. Winemakers were seriously worried about Champagne bottles exploding. 90% of the bottles burst until a stronger bottle was invented around 1662 by English glassmakers.
6. Drinking Quickly: If you drink Champagne too quickly, the bubbles make the alcohol enter your bloodstream so fast that you may get a headache.
7. Traveling Cork: The longest recorded distance a Champagne cork has traveled is 177 feet (54 meters.) The pressure in a Champagne bottle is 90 lbs. per square inch. That is three times the amount of pressure in your car’s tire. Watch where you point that bottle when opening!’
8. Invention of Champagne: True or False: Dom Perignon invented Champagne. FALSE. The phenomenon of streaming bubbles created by the refermentation of wine had been observed for decades. Dom Perignon, a French Benedictine monk did, however, make enormous contributions to Champagne’s winemaking techniques such as making white wine from red grapes.
9. Love and Champagne: Coco Chanel has said of Champagne,
“I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not.”
10. Bubbles per Second: Champagne emits 30 bubbles each second.
11. Champagne vs. Beer Gas: Champagne has three times more gas than beer.
12. Bathtub Champagne:True of False: Marilyn Monroe took a bath in Champagne at least once. TRUE. It took 350 bottles of Champagne to fill her bathtub.
13. Champagne Sabering/Sabreuse: True or False: Can I saber the glass ring (along with the cork) off a bottle of Champagne: TRUE. See my video from the 2018 Dallas Arboretum Mad-Hatters preview party, Women’s Council, Dallas Arboretum.
14. 1st Woman Champagne House Owner: True or False: A woman invented the tilted riddling racks that serve to help clarify Champagne and extract yeast cells from the wine. TRUE. The widow (Veuve) Clicquot – Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, who was the first woman to take over the business of a Champagne House, turned a kitchen table into a unique and useful invention.
And, my favorite Champagne quote:
15. Napoleon on Champagne (with a note on Winston Churchill):
“Champagne: In victory you deserve it. In defeat you need it.”
Napoleon was in good company with this quote. Winston Churchill was also given credit for having said this. Winston habitually consumed Champagne, sometimes at 11 AM. Pol Roger Champagne house makes its prestige wine, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, in homage to him. This Champagne is only made in the very best vintages.
A Few Final Words on Champagne
All special occasions call for Champagne, but the end of the Covid Pandemic—and there will be an end-- demands that we all drink the real thing. Champagne evokes strong emotions. Dom Perignon thought drinking Champagne was like drinking stars. Champagne is one of the most exceptional wines in the world. As Madam Lilly Bollinger said,
“ I drink Champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I think it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.”
My Top Choices for Champagne: Luxury and Value
Top Luxury Champagne
Krug Grande Cuvee Brut, NV $200
Decanter Magazine - 96 points
Tasting Notes: This exceptional wine, called the “King of Champagnes,” features notes of toasted bread, hazelnut, gingerbread, and jellied citrus fruits.
Top Value Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte Reserve Exclusive Brut, NV $35
Wine Spectator - 91 Points
Composed of 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 40% Pinot Meunier.
Tasting Notes: This wine is pale gold with delicate bubbles and floral aromas of pear, apple, almonds, and hazelnuts….a wonderful value.
Top Rosé Champagne (and a Great Value)
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose, NV $80
Wine Spectator - 93 points
Tasting Notes: This Champagne is pale pink salmon in color and has aroma notes of raspberry and fresh pear.
Best Champagne Gift Set
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut with Two Flutes and Gift Box 2008 $290
Wine Enthusiast - 98 Points
This is an amazing wine that comes in a beautiful gift box. Cristal Champagne is likely to age for many years to come.
Tasting Notes: The creamy mousse swathes the palate with detailed flavors of mandarin orange preserves, toasted almond, brioche, and pickled ginger.
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