Champagne, the sparkling beverage synonymous with celebration and refinement, has a history punctuated by fascinating Champagne Anecdotes. From unexpected discoveries to unusual traditions, let’s plunge together into the sparkling world of champagne.
1. Champagne trivia: The art of sabrage
The sabrage du champagne has its origins with Napoleon’s hussars. After their victories, these cavalrymen used toopen their bottles with their sabres to mark the occasion.
Legend also has it that Napoleon himself declared, “If I win, I deserve it; if I lose, I need it.”
2. A sparkling wine born of chance
Contrary to popular belief, Dom Pérignon, a 17th-century Benedictine monk, did not set out to invent champagne. What’s more, at the time, effervescence was perceived as a defect in wine.
However, climatic conditions in the Champagne region led to unexpected secondary fermentation in the bottle, creating the characteristic bubbles.
This phenomenon, long feared by winegrowers, has now become an unavoidable trademark.
3. A bottle for the price of a palate
In 2013, a bottle of Goût de Diamants champagne was sold for the extravagant sum of 1.8 million euros.
Created by designer Alexander Amosuthis exceptional bottle features a solid white gold plate adorned with a 19-carat diamond. Although its contents are of exceptional quality, it is above all its luxurious packaging that makes it a priceless piece for collectors.
4. Champagne trivia: Weightlessness
Mumm has taken up a unique challenge by designing a champagne specially adapted for space travel. Named“Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar”, this sparkling wine is served using a device that creates liquid spheres floating in weightlessness.
Tested in 2018 during parabolic flights, it paves the way for future celebrations in space.
5.James Bond and his champagne fetish
A Champagne anecdote…. James Bond. Although famous for his Martini, Agent 007 is also a champagne connoisseur.
Since “Dr. No” (1962), James Bond tasted over 35 bottles of Bollinger. It has become his preferred brand.
This long-standing partnership has helped anchor the image of champagne in the world of luxury and cinematic elegance. See also our article on Visit Epernay’s finest cellars
6 Bubbles faster than a sprinter
Champagne bubbles rise in the glass at speeds of up to 10 km/h!
Scientific studies have shown that the internal pressure of a bottle of champagne is three times greater than that of a car tire. That’s around 6 bars. Once released, these bubbles play an essential role in the wine’s aromatic explosion.
7. Champagne trivia: An incident at the Golden Globes
Champagne trivia: At the 2019 Golden Globes, a waiter inadvertently spilled a tray of Moët & Chandon flutes on actress Patricia Clarkson. Far from being offended, the latter took the incident in stride, declaring that she now “smells of success”.
An unexpected moment that proved that champagne is always a sensation, even when it spills!
8. A fountain flowing with sparkling wine
In Italy, in the village of Caldari di Ortona, a fountain offers free sparkling wine 24 hours a day.
Although it’s not champagne, this initiative was conceived for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. An original and convivial experience that attracts many curious onlookers.
9. The mystery of breast-inspired glass
Legend has it that the champagne glass was fashioned in theimage of the breast of the Marquise de Pompadour, Louis XV’s favorite, or Marie-Antoinette. However, wine historians agree that this theory is unfounded.
Today, oenologists prefer the flute, as it better preserves champagne’s bubbles and aromas.
10 Champagne trivia: the Baltic Sea
In 2010, divers discovered a wreck lying off the Åland Islands? The wreck contained 168 bottles of champagne dating back to the 19th century.
These bottles, perfectly preserved under water thanks to ideal pressure and temperature conditions, revealed a surprisingly intact taste. Some of them were sold at auction for over €30,000 each.
Conclusion
Behind every glass of champagne lies a story, a tradition or a curiosity that makes it much more than just a sparkling wine. Whether underwater, in space or on the kings’ table, champagne never ceases to amaze!
