This detailed historical and practical study by Henry Vizetelly traces the origins, growth, and widespread popularity of Champagne and other sparkling wines in France. The author begins with the early renown of the Champagne wines during the Roman era, following their cultivation through the Middle Ages by monastic orders and their eventual rise to royal favor under the French monarchs. A central historical focus is the invention of sparkling champagne, attributed to Dom Perignon at the Royal Abbey of Hautvillers, whose discoveries regarding blending, corking, and effervescence revolutionized wine-making.
The narrative addresses the intense historical rivalry between the wines of Champagne and Burgundy, detailing the pamphlets, medical debates, and poetical disputes that engaged the medical faculties and literary figures of the eighteenth century. Vizetelly examines the extensive viticultural areas along the River Marne and the Mountain of Reims, describing the unique soils, grape varieties, and the labor-intensive systems of cultivation required to produce superior grapes.
Practical aspects of production are thoroughly explored, from the traditional vintage by beat of drum and the mechanics of the wine-press to the complex processes of cuvée blending, bottling, gas-making, and the modern methods of removing sediment through disgorging. The author takes readers on a comprehensive tour of the principal champagne establishments in Reims and Epernay, detailing the vast subterranean cellars, the operations of historic houses like Veuve Clicquot and Moët et Chandon, and the manufacturing methods of sparkling wines in Saumur, Burgundy, and the south of France.
Finally, the work chronicles the introduction and enduring popularity of champagne in England, tracing its presence from the Restoration through the Augustan age of literature and its widespread adoption during the Victorian era. The narrative concludes with an examination of the cultural and social role champagne plays in modern celebrations, dinners, and international commerce, establishing its permanent place as a symbol of festivity and refinement.
