My very dear readers,
Welcome to the first of what I hope will be many articles on Peacock and Pearls. As the title suggests, today is all about the drink that could hardly be more fitting for the wild, sophisticated and decadent era of the 1920s: Champagne. So, take a seat on the canapé and join me on a sparkling journey while you wait for your bottle to get the right temperature.
I have adored the beverage of beverages for some years now and would like to use this article as an opportunity to express my love for it and also to clear up a few well-known prejudices.
Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte und Coco Chanel
Those who drink Champagne do so in the best of company. Many celebrities have openly admitted their enthusiasm. Winston Churchill, for example, a great lover of the Pol Roger brand, probably said during the Second World War: "Remember, gentlemen, it is not just France we're fighting for, it's Champagne!" After all, you have to be clear about what is at stake.
But Champagne has also played an important role in military victories or defeats in earlier times. Napoléon Bonaparte explained this as follows: "Je ne peux vivre sans Champagne. En cas de victoire, je le mérite, ; en cas de défaite, j'en ai besoin." (I cannot live without Champagne. In case of victory, I deserve it; in case of defeat, I need it).
But of course you don't have to be in a war to appreciate Champagne, and of course you shouldn't drink too much of it either. The ever-elegant Coco Chanel had a fabulous strategy for maintaining the perfect measure: "Je ne bois du Champagne qu'à deux occasions: Quand je suis amoureuse et quand je ne le suis pas." (I only drink Champagne on two occasions: When I'm in love and when I'm not). You can't really go wrong with that.
Exclusivity and exciting possibilities
There is hardly any other drink that arouses as much admiration as Champagne, and rightly so in any case. After all, it can only be called Champagne if it is produced in the region of the same name in France. In addition to the well-known big brands such as Moët Chandon, Veuve Clicquot or Dom Pérignon, there are still many small family businesses that produce the precious drink by hand from start to finish. Some varieties have to be stored for years before they can be corked and sold, so it's no wonder that the price per bottle is not comparable to that of a supermarket sparkling wine. It is also amazing that only small changes in the production or the recipe are enough to achieve completely different taste nuances, so you can always make new exciting discoveries. I was able to verify this myself on site a few months ago. I spent a long weekend strolling through the streets of Reims and Épernay, admiring the magnificent villas on the "Avenue du Champagne" (the Perrier Jouët house is particularly beautiful here, a real Art Nouveau dream) and, of course, tasting various Champagnes, which you really shouldn't miss given the rich offer there.
But there are said to be ladies and gentlemen who have certain doubts when it comes to enjoying Champagne. I would like to dispel these doubts, because life is much too short to spend it without Champagne.
Prejudice No. 1: Champagne is way too expensive
As mentioned above, Champagne is not a mass product that can be made cheaply, so the bottle must have a certain price so that the Champagne producer also earns something from it. Of course, there are well-known brands that sell larger quantities and have optimised their processes so that they can offer lower prices, but they often invest in costly marketing campaigns that the customer then pays for in the end. There are also import duties that are not insignificant, which is why it is not worthwhile for many smaller manufacturers to offer their products outside France. Of course, the price for a bottle is particularly steep in a restaurant, where you often pay three to four times the purchase price; after all, the restaurant wants to make a profit. However, in my opinion, there are also brands that are definitely overpriced, but if you look around a bit, you can get real gems for absolutely fair prices (my insider tip here is the "Comte de Brismand", an unbelievably fresh and delicious Champagne that the supermarket Lidl offers for just under 14 Euros; of the well-known brands, the winner for me in terms of the price/performance ratio is the Blue Top from Heidsieck Monopol, at around 26 euros per bottle, but that is only mentioned here in passing).
Prejudice No. 2: Champagne is decadent
It may be true that Champagne has a certain reputation as far as that is concerned. For many, it is still a status symbol and in some circles it is all about showing which brands or vintages you can afford (and there are no upper limits, of course). But there are black sheep everywhere and that shouldn't stop you from enjoying this delicious drink. And who actually says that decadence per se has to be bad?
Prejudice No. 3: Champagne is overrated
Most of those who say this haven't tasted much yet or perhaps don't generally drink much in the way of (sparkling) wine. The taste buds need to be trained. If you only know semi-dry sparkling wine from the supermarket, Champagne will at first seem strange or even overwhelm you. Of course, many people first have to get used to its dryness, because Champagne often has less sugar than an average sparkling wine. But since there are so many different varieties, the grape composition is not always the same and the ripening period makes a lot of difference, you shouldn't give up too quickly and just keep trying. I think it's worth it!
Prejudice No. 4: Champagne is only something for special occasions
If you were to go by that, you might only drink Champagne two or three times a year, depending on what you consider a special occasion. But that still leaves more than 360 days, and should you really practice self-imposed abstinence on all those days? I would like to quote the writer Hester Browne: "Always keep a bottle of Champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you've got a bottle of Champagne in the fridge." That's all that needs to be said.
Ladies and gentlemen, I hope I have been able to convince those of you who are not already members of the Champagne Friends Club to become so!
Life wants to be enjoyed, so put on the pearl necklace or the top hat and pop the corks!
Further advice in terms of Champagne:
Glasses
Even if the Champagne bowls are in the best 1920s style, many experts recommend the classic flute, as the carbonic acid doesn't escape so quickly there (if the Champagne even has that much time to go stale...).
Food
Sommeliers say that pretty much everything goes well with Champagne. Depending on the variety, fish or seafood are recommended, but heartier dishes such as hamburgers and French fries are also said to harmonise with the noble drink. Anything that pleases is definitely allowed.
Music
Of course, everything that our favourite decade has to offer in terms of swing fits here. My recommendation is Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz", the best version of which, in my opinion, is the one from Fred Astaire.
Literature
If you are looking for the perfect companion reading while enjoying Champagne, I recommend Amélie Nothomb's "The Art of Drinking Champagne", very amusing and inspiring.
Also suitable are many of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's stories, such as "Tales of the Jazz Age".
Films and the like
For those who want to continue drinking Champagne with the Fitzgeralds, I recommend the series "Z - The Beginning of Everything" on Amazon Prime or, of course, one of the numerous "The Great Gatsby" film adaptations.
My favourite film for drinking Champagne is Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris".
So then, cheers, chin chin and cheers, ladies and gentlemen! You have earned it.
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