There’s More to Understanding Champagne Than You May Think
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
More than any other secular symbol of celebration, sparkling wines are associated with feelings of joy, camaraderie and passion. They may also evoke memories of special moments in our lives.
Unfortunately, oftentimes these wines are also the least appreciated on their own merits. As we clink our glasses in toasts to each other and sip the contents of a bottle, how often do we focus on the attributes of the wine? For each memory associated with Champagne or sparkling wines, are we aware of the history behind the wines themselves? Champagne and sparkling wines have become the conduits for celebration, not the focus of celebration.
In reality, the production process and long history of French sparkling wines, which are the only sparklers that may be referred to as “Champagne,” are more complex and have been more intertwined with history than any other wines, sparkling or still.
In this week’s column I’ll explore the military and business elements that have vaulted them to center stage.
The history of Champagne reads like the history of French military wars. As early as the late 16th century, French royalty quaffed Champagne to celebrate coronations and military victories in the Champagne city of Reims. In the 18th century, it became the symbol for military might.
In 1814, an enterprising Champagne house, Veuve Clicquot, defied Napoleon’s wartime blockade of Russia by secretly shipping Champagne to the czar. Napoleon’s troops were fighting disease and hunger on the Russian front, while the czar was planning strategies with a glass of Champagne in hand.
During World War I, the Germans wreaked havoc and destruction on the Champagne region, driving residents to vast centuries-old natural caves where they subsisted for nearly four years, secretly preserving their precious liquid treasures.
During World War II, the Nazis commandeered many of the French Champagne estates. The courageous locals cunningly resisted, plying the Germans with just enough bubbly to avoid the potential maelstrom of destruction of World War I.
It is also in the French Champagne region where a unique social phenomenon occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries. While men dominated the rest of the international business world, the Champagne region was singularly notable for the influence and business acumen of a number of enterprising women.
Succeeding to leadership roles upon the deaths of their husbands, these women personally took over the reins of their namesake wineries, transforming themselves from stay-at-home moms to successful corporate entrepreneurs. Through their operational, technological, marketing and financial expertise, they catapulted the Champagne houses of Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Laurent-Perrier and Bollinger into world prominence that continues to this day.
The most famous is the Veuve (“Widow”) Clicquot. At 27, she inherited a struggling small winery from her husband. Through her singular effort to improve the quality of her wines, she succeeded in building her winery’s reputation, and sales, to worldwide acclaim.
Madame Louise Pommery boldly ventured outside the Franco-centric Champagne market and established her brand name in Great Britain, making her one of the wealthiest women in France.
Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt, widowed during World War I, abruptly sold her share of the family winery and set out on her own to make her mark. She purchased a near bankrupt winery, Laurent-Perrier, and built it into a prestigious Champagne house – with three children in tow.
Madame Jacques Bollinger, widowed in the midst of World War II, doubled her namesake winery’s production in spite of the wartime conditions she encountered. Asked as to when she drank Champagne, she famously replied, “I only drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.”
A noble viewpoint.
Nick Antonaccio is a 45-year Pleasantville resident. For over 25 years, he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. Nick is a member and program director of the Wine Media Guild of wine journalists. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
