Blog LA CUISINE, Ocala: Cheers!

Time is going so fast.....

We hope you had a delightful spring break, or at least, a good Easter! Hope the chocolate was tasty too.

We don't want to talk about chocolate right now (maybe next time, we do love chocolate), but instead, the best alcohol to drink with it: Champagne!

Let us introduce the history of the most popular and loved wine. By the way, did you know that in France, when we celebrate the birth of a newborn, we put a drop of champagne in his lips, don't ask us why, it's a famous tradition, as if to say "welcome to the world baby!". Crazy french people.

This story is quite long but very interesting, actually. We're sure you don't want to miss it:

The tradition of winemaking in Champagne is quite old: it dates back to Roman times.
They are the ones who planted the first vines. In the Middle Ages, the wines from the coast were treated to champagne "Wines of France", which was produced throughout the Paris Basin. The only merit of wines from the region of Reims and Epernay then do not do too much harm to those who drank!. These wines carry the same name today as they did back during the reign of King Henry IV at the end of the sixteenth century: in Paris they were appointed for the first time as "wines of Champagne.

Throughout the seventeenth century, these wines became more and more popular, both at the court of France and the English court, particularly through the support of Parisian family who had large land in Champagne. This family is responsible for the development of "wines of Champagne" gray wine, very slightly colored.

However, the tenants quickly realized that these gray wines weren't aging well in barrels. They decided to bottle them more quickly before the end of the first fermentation in order to retain the best aromas. The first bottling date from the 1660s.

The people of Champagne discovered that the wine was naturally sparkling , faintly colored and low in alcohol content. Additionally, the best time to harvest was the peak of springtime. The English were quickly seduced by this new development: it is perhaps because of them that the bubbly wine remained so popular despite the problems it caused it's growers due to exploding bottles!

The champagne was not yet complete: it was a monk, Dom Perignon, from the Benedictine Abbey of Hautvillers who was responsible for tending the vineyards, wine presses and wine cellars of the Abbey from 1668 to 1715. In 1821another Benedictine monk credited Dom Perignon with inventing the process of creating sparkling wine. Today, we tend to think it was rather the first to perform the assembly. It is certain that this man was a scientist and his winery enjoyed great popularity in his day.

This is the eighteenth century that the champagne started to gain worldwide fame, thanks to famous globetrotters like Claude Moet, Philippe Clicquot, Florenz-Louis Heidsieck. In the nineteenth century, Pierre-Nicolas-Marie Perriet-Jouet, Mumm, Bollinger ... take over. Famous widow as Mrs Pommery, Ms. Clicquot, Perrier Ms to name only resumed the business of their husbands in hand and completed the promotion of champagne quality.

For the record, Champagne Brut was created in 1876 at the request of English, which unlike the French at the time, preferred to drink dry wines.

The champagne was finally recognized as the sacred wine of June 7, 1654 at the accession of King Louis XIV.

Typical house in Reims.

As per the traditions, we use to drink Champagne with... EVERYTHING, and for all events! As appetizers, with friends, during our meal, as you may have tried during our Christmas'Eve, for dessert or for no special occasion, just for the pleasure. We love bubbles...

Many many years ago, from 1900-1914 which is called "La belle Epoque" or 1919-1929 "Les annees Folles", famous artists are sollicited to make advertising for differents brands.