Would you believe that champagne was just an accident? This aristocratic, classy and exceptional beverage was originally meant to be a still wine. However, during the 17th century wherein this Pinot Noir wine was famous, the export of this wine provided a second fermentation which allowed the still wine to turn into a much more convivial drink. This accidental fermentation is the reason why we have champagne in existence now.
This pink sparkling wine is known to have originated from Champagne, France. However, it was not the French that first planted the Pinot Noir seeds. The people who planted the first vineyards in this region of France were the Romans. These vineyards were the provenance of the earliest wines. And upon the coronation of Hugh Capet as the King of France, a succession of banquets and celebrations with a Pinot Noir pink wine in the middle of it all succeeded.
Apart from King Hugh Capet of France, there is a succession of other royalties that were enamored by this pink, sparkling bubbly. Among these royalties are the Duke of Orleans; Phillipe II, King Leopold II of Belgium, Marie Antoinette of France and Marchioness Margaret Cambridge of Cambridge. The Dukes of Bedford and Buckingham were also regular customers of multiple cases of sparkling wine. However, this sparkling wine was not considered to be only suitable for royalty. In the latter years of the 19th century, Laurent Perrier advertised their ‘Sans Sucre Champagne’ and other types of pink bubbly as a celebratory drink instead of a beverage suitable only for royalty. They brought forward the concept of celebratory drinking. The surprising fact was that it actually worked. A lot of the middle class were purchasing pink champagne to celebrate various occasions just like the previous Kings and Queens would celebrate.
The mark of modern champagne is probably at the period of the industrial revolution. It was Jean-Antoine Chaptal, a French scientist, which pronounced the deficiencies of the early sparkling wine. He pointed out that it was due to too much sugar that caused the bottles of sparkling pink wine to blow up due to too much carbon dioxide. And in the 1830’s, a pharmacist named Andre Francois, outlined the exact and accurate formulas to fashion a perfect bottle of pink sparkling wine.
Champagne doesn’t have the same intimidating appeal that it used to have a few centuries ago. The prices for these pink sparkling wines may be a little high but there are also many variations which have more affordable prices. After all, champagne is not only for royalty but also for those who would like to feel like royalty from time to time.