If you’re prone to grabbing a bottle of bubbly when enjoying good company and great news, then read on to enjoy these facts about the drink of celebration!
As much as we may like to, we cannot drink champagne every single day. But – there are moments that absolutely call for celebration, so let’s explore what those are and why champagne and sparkling wine has become synonymous with celebrating the good times.
The history behind champagne for celebrating
Why is it that we chill a bottle of champagne when we’re preparing to celebrate? Well, the history of champagne begins in France, the birthplace of this joyous beverage.
The royals were very taken with champagne as they believed it helped with “men’s wit and women’s beauty”, but it was really more than that. After the French Revolution, champagne and other alcohols became more readily available, and the sparkling concoction attracted the French population who had seen this as a status symbol for a long time.
During this time, wine was typically flat, and so a sparkling wine that bubbles became as much a novelty as it was flavoursome. Soon, it was brought out for religious celebrations, weddings, births and other occasions that warranted more than your everyday bottle of wine.
The physical impacts
Now that we have an understanding of the origins of champagne, let’s assess how it makes us feel, and why. The ingredients in champagne are not too different to that of wine, with the only real difference between these two types of wines being how much longer the fermentation process is for champagne. It’s this extra long fermentation process which creates the bubbles we know and love.
There is also something to be said about the chemical make-up of a bottle of champagne itself, as champagne contains zinc, potassium and magnesium.
Generally speaking, these minerals are known to create feelings of lightness, optimism and cheerfulness. Sound familiar? It would be interesting to know whether the champagne promotes these feelings entirely or if the event being celebrated prompts or even enhances the effects of the bubbly. What comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Status and opulence
Over the last few centuries, champagne has well and truly exhibited the perfect branding trajectory. Champagne has always been presented to us as a status symbol, as there is a certain evergreen opulence that goes with pouring a glass of champagne.
First, there is the popping of the cork, which is really an experience on its own and has come to signal the start of a celebration. Even the glasses used to drink champagne are different to wine glasses, and there are so many different types of champagne glasses to choose from.
You might like the sleek champagne flute design, or you could be partial to the vintage-inspired champagne coupe glasses. Chances are you may have handled a coupe glass over the past few years at any Gatsby-themed or ‘Roaring 20s’ parties, as this glass style was highly popular in that era.
The region
As you may already know, champagne is named after the Champagne province in France, the birthplace of the drink itself. The region’s stunning landscape has proven to be the perfect condition to grow the grapes which become beautiful, bubbling champagne.
A visit to the Champagne region should ideally include a trip to some of the world’s most famous vineyards. Veuve Clicquot, Moët Chandon or Dom Perignon – you can experience them all and take a tour down in the vault to see how their fanciful wares are produced from start to finish.
King of the sparklings
There are, of course, a few other types of sparkling wines that are delicious to enjoy in their own right. Prosecco in particular is having a real moment. This particular wine is truly growing in popularity all over the world for its typical dry taste and the many ways it can be enjoyed with other liquors and liqueurs to put a more European spin on an afternoon.
Sparkling wine can also be quite lovely, but that there can be a real quality variance when it comes to sparkling wine. The truth is, champagne is the king of sparklings! Its crisp flavour makes it hard to decide whether to start or end the night with champagne.
Many people like to kick things off with a glass of chilled champagne, and as the night or afternoon progresses, they make the switch to regular wines or after dinner cocktails.
Be sure to think about some of these facts as you enjoy your next flute of bubbly at your next celebration. We’re certain that champagne will remain a firm fixture on your list. Cheers!
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