Daily A~Musing #49: Champagne/Sparkling Wine

A wee bit o' bubbly, you say?  Charmed, I'm sure.  Of course, since you're all such refined and sophisticated folks, you KNOW that you can't LEGALLY call it Champagne unless it hails from the very specific region of France where champagne itself was born.  Yeah, I know.  Redundant.  Here's a few bits you may NOT be familiar with:


*Most champagne/sparkling wine is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes.
*Champagne was initially enjoyed only by aristocrats and used to anoint French kings until the wine industry decided they needed to spread the wealth among the middle class.  Apparently the aristocrats stopped paying their bills after they lost their heads....muAHHAHahahaaaaa!!!!
*Dom Perignon was a Benedictine monk frequently credited with actually creating this delicious beverage.  He did NOT.  However...he was directed by the abbot to get rid of the bubbles as the bottles kept busting open in the wine cellars and destroying the place.  He was unsuccessful in this venture.
*Old school cellar workers used to wear iron masks like baseball catchers masks to prevent injuries from explosions
*20%-90% of champagne/sparkling wine batches are lost to explosions of this dangerous delight.


Some of the most notable champagne/sw's are:

Dom Perignon
(I've only had it once and it was tasty, 
but certainly not worth the price for
such a peasantly palate as mine.)


Taittingers
(Never tried it, but heard good things.
Some vintages can be reasonably priced
between $30-$50.)

Bolli.  Watch Absolutely Fabulous sometime whilst swigging
back some Bolli, sweetiedahlingsweetie.

Perrier-Jouet Fleur
(Pretty bottle, ain't it?  I 've never known anyone who actually drank this, but I've seen it in some of the wine shops I've customed.  Again, depending on vintage, can be quite pricey.  




Then there's Cristal...
I often fantasize about taking a bubble bath in this...it's supposed to be exquisite with the correspondingly exquisite price tag. *sigh*

The one and only time I went to France, I did  indeed taste of the effervescent grape in Reims.  Delighted was I with the Mumm Cordon Rouge.  Delighted was I even more to discover I could actually afford to occasionally buy a bottle of it ($30-$45).  On special occasions anyway.  
If you dig sweet and innocent, go for the spumante, prosecco or lambrusco.  These may not sport the swanky cache of the bubbles of the gods, but they're certainly tasty treats.  Lambrusco is quite refreshing as a summertime deck/small gathering beverage.  Spumante is lovely for when you just want a little taste of something yummy with your cheese and fruit or something that will take your Godiva all the way to decadent.

mmmmmm.....how sweet it is!