23 Reasons to Pop It Like It's Hot on International Champagne Day
Did somebody say Champagne?
Oh yes we did, ‘cause 20th October is International Champagne Day and we’re about to bubble over.
There’ll be corks popping around the globe as the world unites in celebrating this fabulous French fizz. Perfect for birthdays, promotions, weddings, family reunions, ceremonies, parties and general merrymaking, this famous party starter has been at the heart of human revelry for hundreds of years. So to mark this auspicious day, we wanted to share a few reasons why we think Champagne is the supreme sparkling wine.
It says ‘let’s celebrate’, so open a bottle and live it up with your favourite people.
It’s dangerous – seriously, that cork is under a lot of pressure and if it hits you it will hurt. Remember, keep your thumb over the cork and turn the bottle slowly to avoid trips to A & E.
Bubbles equal fun – there’s just something so jolly about them (yes we said jolly, it feels good doesn’t it). Remember how fun bubbles were in the bath as a kid? Well Champagne encapsulates this joy in a glass for adults.
It’s a miracle – with an average annual temperature of just 10℃, Champagne is one of the world’s coolest wine regions. It therefore takes extreme skill in the vineyard and winery to nurture grapes to ripeness and capture their spirit in bottle.
It has an amazing history – the Champagne region is the site of some of the biggest battles in human history. The loss, tragedy and destruction of its past are strangely juxtaposed against what it is renowned for today.
It’s glamorous – from statesman to sporting superstars, Champagne is associated with power, status and celebrity. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t enjoy indulging in the fantasy that sipping on it will transport us into this world.
So much choice – there are 320 Champagne houses and 16,000 winegrowers. That’s a hell of a lot of choice when it comes to selecting a sparkling wine to suit you.
It’s grown on an ancient seabed – Champagne is awash with chalky soils that were deposited millions of years ago that today give rise to the distinctive minerality seen in much of the fizz.
It’s made from fruit so it must be healthy – okay we’re pushing it, but Champagne is made from grapes so it must be good for for us, right? Everything in moderation and all.
International celebrity – it’s one of few wines that you can find in almost all corners of the globe.
It has a whole vocabulary all of its own – riddling, dosage, tirage, disgorgement, assemblage...the list goes on. Thank goodness for Google.
You can open it with a sword! This practice, called Sabrage, dates back to the Napoleonic Wars when soldiers would slice open the sparkling with the back of their sword to impress the young Madame Cliquot. Get it right and it’s still a pretty impressive party trick today. Cue the slow motion setting on your phone, hello Instagram
It’s one of a kind – while Champagne has inspired winemakers the world over to create wines that imitate its style, there can only be one true bubbly. No really, only wines grown within strictly defined geographic limits and made according to rigorous French appellation rules can be called Champagne.
It spends time in Roman caves – the world below where Champagne grows is equally as intriguing. There are literally thousands of miles of tunnels, many of which have been carved from the chalk by the Romans, where Champagne rests before it is released.
It goes pop – and who doesn’t love that sound. It’s the result of trapped carbon dioxide produced during secondary fermentation being freed.
It used to be called ‘the devil’s wine’ – not because it’s wickedly good but because back in the day (1600s) the vignerons thought the bubbles were evil. While the French initially saw fizz as a fault, the English loved it and were instrumental in making it fashionable.
It looks hot – both inside and out. Champagne is a beautiful drink and has inspired some of the funkiest packaging and prettiest designs. Sometimes you need to see just a flash of colour to know exactly who they are and be foolishly attracted to them.
It can be pink – while most Champagne is white, pink fizz now accounts for 10% of production, compared to 3% 15 years ago. It’s made in a similar way to regular Champagne but uses just red grapes of pinot noir or pinot muenier to achieve the blush colour.
It’s exclusive – limited land for growing the best grapes, an expensive production method and savvy marketing add to the price and exclusivity of Champagne. All this makes drinking it feel pretty damn special.
It can be made in a style to suit every taste – while most of us will be familiar with dry or ‘Brut’ Champagne, it can be made on a scale of sweetness from super-dry Brut Zero’ ( less than 3 grams of residual sugar per litre) to Doux (50 grams of residual sugar per litre).
It comes in big bottles – the only thing better than Champagne is big bubbles. How would a 30 litre bottle suit you? Called a Melchizedek and offered exclusively by the House of Drappier, this should satisfy the thirstiest guests.
It tastes amazing – all those intriguing aromas, that freshness, effervescence and texture; it’s like a party on your palate. And the best thing is that because each Champagne is slightly different, each party has a different vibe.
You can save your memories in corks – it’s an old tradition, but many still do it. Simply pop a cork, score it with a knife, stick in a coin and put it in a vase to remember those milestones that make you smile to yourself.