A Little History of Champagne for Mother's Day

A Little History of Champagne for Mothers Day

"Come, for I am drinking stars!"
Dom Perignon

With Mother’s Day fast approaching many find themselves scrambling to make those last-minute Sunday Brunch reservations.  The one day a year we celebrate our adoration to our mother’s with the delicacies of brunch and of course champagne, plenty of champagne.   With that in mind, let’s consider the history, source, and profiles of this wonderful, bubbly drink that has a seat at every brunch table.

The history of Champagne dates back to the 17th century when in the cold, northeastern region of France, bubbles accidentally appeared in bottles of fermenting wine. That's right. This celebrated beverage first began in Champagne, France as a science experiment. The trapped carbon dioxide bubbles were not originally intended to be part of the wine.  Although these magical bubbles were a created via a historical faux pas, it took the visionary Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk and cellar master at the abbey Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers, to master the production of Champagne.

Champagne, we’re talking REAL champagne, comes from the Champagne region of France.   If it’s not from this region it is Sparkling Wine, plain and simple.  Apologies to all the Korbel’s of the world, but in the eyes of the wine drinking world you are not invited to the club.  Sidelined – noses firmly placed against the glass – on the outside looking in on the Champagne world.  The Champagne region includes the major cities of Epernay and Reims. It lies about 90 miles east of Paris. The region is home to such famous labels as: Collet,  Mumm, Mercier, Moet & Chandon, Joseph Perrier, Perrier-Jouet, Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot.

One of the beauties of Champagne is the remarkable diversity of styles that come from such a small corner of the world. Each style and type of Champagne is designed to please the various preferences in taste. The primary types of Champagne include Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé.  One must also consider sugar content and of course context.  In terms of sugar content: “brut” or “sec” is going to give you a sweeter champagne, while “dry” is going to give you a less sweeter variety.  The majority of champagne consumed is of these two styles, yet, one must also consider the almighty rose, yes the rose.  This is the key to any womens heart and a perfect opener to any romantic interlude.

In the end champagne may go down as one of the greatest mistakes of all time, but one thing is for sure.  Champagne will always go down as a refreshing delicious way to celebrate a special occasion – or even to celebrate the perfect Sunday.