Centuries of tradition go into the making of champagne. From its origins as a sacred wine, it later became the preferred beverage of kings at their coronation ceremonies. Nowadays we know it as the time-honored wine of special occasions.
Centuries of tradition go into the making of champagne. From its origins as a sacred wine, it later became the preferred beverage of kings at their coronation ceremonies. Nowadays we know it as the time-honored wine of special occasions.
Discover the history of Champagne, centuries of tradition go into the history of champagne. (Full screen mode on Youtube)
Birth of a terroir
- 3rd century: Viticulture first appeared in Champagne;
- 1114: Great Charte champenoise;
- 16th century: reputation of Aÿ wines.
From a still wine to an effervescent wine
- 1735: birth of the Champagne bottle, still in use today;
- 1811: founding of Maison Perrier-Jouët;
- 1827: founding of Maison Mumm;
- 19th century: champagne embodied the
French spirit and became the celebratory wine.
Beginnings of the Champagne appellation
- 1882: four champagne houses, including Maison Mumm, founded the first trade body, the Syndicat de commerce de vins de Champagne;
- 1887: the name 'champagne' is reserved for wines from the Champagne region;
- 1890-1894: phylloxera crisis;
- 1908: first delimitations of the terroir (15,000 hectares along the Marne and Aisne Rivers);
- 1911: official establishment of the 'cru ranking';
- 1927: new regional delimitation.
Struggle for quality
- 1931-1935: crises caused by overproduction and poor sales;
- 29 June 1936: creation of the Champagne AOC label to guarantee the quality and authenticity of the terroir;
- 1941: creation of the CIVC (Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne), a trade organization bringing together independent champagne producers and Champagne Houses;
- 2001: launch of sustainable wine growing.
Read also:
- The description of champagne
- The champagne production method
- The Champagne terroir
- Serving and tasting champagne
- The best bars to drink champagne
- Our champagne brands
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