EAT & DRINK
A Toast to Champagne
WITH A STORIED HISTORY , EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTION PROCESS AND WORLD-RENOWNED FLAVOR , IT ’ S NO WONDER THAT THE SPARKLING BEVERAGE IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER .
By JESSICA FARTHING
GAL MEETS GLAM
22 I SALAMANDER 2023
No other drink embodies celebration as well as Champagne ; from the moment that the cork is popped , the festivity begins . Around the world , Champagne is used to toast a new year , honor significant achievements and mark special occasions . It even christens the first launch of new ships , said to bring good luck to future voyages .
As legends go , the creation of Champagne can be traced back to a young monk named Dom Pérignon , a Benedictine in the Hautvillers Abbey monastery in France . In the 1600s , he mistakenly created bubbles during wine production , thanks , in large part , to refermentation as a result of the Champagne region ’ s cold temperatures . Upon trying a glass , he supposedly said , “ Come quickly , I am drinking the stars .” Though he later tried to rid his wine of the accidental bubbles , there is no doubt that his discovery played a role in the birth of the industry .
Over the years , other large Champagne producers advanced the winemaking process and increased the drink ’ s popularity . The widow Barbe-Nicole Clicquot of Veuve Clicquot made innovations that sped up production , allowing her to take over a significant portion of the market . Near the end of the Napoleonic wars , she smuggled her wine into Russia , creating a large