Shall we talk a little bit about Champagne? Let your local wine store in Farragut offer some liquor store education on the creation of everyone’s favorite celebration drink.
If there’s one thing we hear a lot of at Campbell Station Wine and Spirits, it’s the question about the story of the creation of champagne. Was the French cellar master Dom Pierre Perignon really responsible for the development of the drink in the 1660s? Surprisingly, no he wasn’t. However, what he was responsible for was ridding the wine (from Champagne, France) of the bubbles that appeared during and after fermentation. The creators of the time believed that sparkling wine was ruined, and needed to be fixed.
How did it happen?In truth, the creation of champagne was little more than an accident that can be attributed to an unusually cold spell that plagued France during the late 18th and 19th centuries. The cold spell prevented the yeast from consuming all the sugar, causing the fermentation to become dormant. The fermentation would then pick up again later in the spring and cause the liquid to sparkle. These days, this process is known as secondary fermentation, but back then it was little more than an accident and, in truth, Dom Pierre Perignon’s job was to stop the wine sparkling.
How did champagne become a commercial success?The process for creating champagne as we know it today was taken to Britain by a Frenchman, shared throughout the London high society and then transformed into the commercial success we know it to be today by a widow named Barbe-Nicole.
Barbe-Nicole is widely regarded as the discoverer of remuage, and the individual responsible for making champagne available at a relatively affordable price to the masses. Veuve Clicquot Champagne is still available in liquor stores around the country; fun fact, “Veuve” is French for widow! A favorite celebratory drink among many, the drink previously perceived as a failure now has an unswerving place in the hearts of many – and all because of nature’s interruption of the fermentation process, and the economic mind of a young British widow.
The Economic Success of champagneAfter being made more widely available by Barbe-Nicole, production and sales of the now-popular drink skyrocketed in a short space of time, increasing from just a few thousand bottles in a year, to more than five million per year in just four decades. Indeed, by the beginning of the 20th century, the world was enjoying the sparkling drink to the point that they were buying 20 million bottles per year.
Beyond the Monk Myth
Although the perpetuation of the Dom Pierre Perrignon myth is a nice story to tell, it has little more truth in it than a liquor store down the road creating vodka. Many would say that the truth behind the drink is much more interesting, though it’s good to know that the monk everyone thought created the drink was still involved to some extent.
The True Story of Champagne - Champagne Cocktails Farragut
Cheers-
Campbell Station Wine & Spirits, Always of Good Cheer! Your Friendly Farragut wine and liquor store ! Conveniently located on the West End of Turkey Creek in Farragut. It is our pleasure to assist in picking the perfect wine or liquor for your enjoyment. Visit us today and check out our full inventory that includes popular, premium, and even extremely rare wines and spirits. Don't forget we also sell beer, mixers and other wine accessories. Visit our website www.campbellstationwine.com or call 865.966.7122
