Champagne: its growing fame from the first French influencer to the US market.

Everyone knows that it cannot be called Champagne unless it comes from the French region of the same name. In fact, thanks to the commitment of the Comité Champagne, the area one hundred and fifty kilometers east of Paris is recognized for one of the most prestigious appellations in the world. Among the vineyards of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier, however, there are many stories and anecdotes that few know. Why (and since when) Champagne is the symbol of celebrations

How did a wine drunk by a few, almost secretly, considered "defective" due to its bubbles to become trendy?

Marco Chiesa says that it is thanks to Filippo d'Orléans, a nobleman known throughout France for his memorable parties. “Filippo's dinners were the most important social events, they favored social relations between those who counted and entertained crowds of bored nobles. The uncorking of the Champagne, which took place at the hands of the girls present, marked the beginning of the party ". This is why French bubbles have become the symbol of celebrations since the mid-1600s, bringing with them a sense of transgression and sensuality that is still alive today. “The Duke of Richelieu argued that a party could not be called such until each participant had reached the state of gaiety given by Champagne,” says Chiesa. Furthermore, there are those who say that the custom of drinking from women's shoes dates back to the time of the party lover Filippo D'Orléans.

Who was the first Champagne Influencer in history?

“In victory you deserve it, in defeat you need it”. Here is one of Napoleon Bonaparte's favorite sayings that can be defined, without a shadow of a doubt, the first Champagne Influencer in history. In fact, despite being a teetotaler and not particularly prone to binges, the French general had an irrepressible passion for bubbles. "Thanks to his friendship with Moët, whose house was a pleasant" pit stop "for Napoleon before and after his campaigns to conquer Europe, Bonaparte was the first international ambassador of Champagne and made him known across the border" he continues Marco Chiesa. "After having requisitioned ecclesiastical vineyards and cellars during the French Revolution, he deserves credit for having financed the research to extract sugar from beet, forever changing the taste of wine". Thanks to a new, less aggressive flavor and sweeter notes, he has thus managed to expand the list of his admirers.

Americans love French bubbles thanks to Champagne Charlie

When your father chases Napoleon's army to Russia in a carriage crammed with bottles because "whoever won the war would need Champagne to celebrate", resourcefulness is certainly part of your DNA. And so it was for Charles-Camille Heidsieck, a key figure in the history of French bubbles, capable of exporting three hundred thousand bottles a year to American territory. "Known as Champagne Charlie, he became famous thanks to his charm and talents as a conversationalist, with his hawk-like mustache," says Chiesa. "At the outbreak of the Civil War he also ended up in prison because he was considered a spy and was released on Lincoln's word." Having solved this diplomatic incident between France and America, Charlie returned to Europe to consolidate his brand, but his influence on the Americans and their passion for bubbles has never been extinguished. So much so that one day, someone thought it best to call a town "Reims" to produce a Champagne from overseas and try to circumvent the appellation rules. But this, after all, is a whole other story.

source: lofficielitalia