Women on top!
Without speculating on bedroom antics, there are many
instances in which women come out on top.
When it comes to baking, sewing, reading maps and wrapping Christmas
presents, the awards are always won by members of the fairer sex. Men, on the other hand, excel when it comes
to changing tyres, mowing lawns and setting up dvd-players. (please don't be offended) : )
The wine world is generally dominated by men, but Champagne is an area in
which women are and have always been at the forefront. This isn’t because French women live so much
longer than men, although it does help!
Lily Bollinger, Nicole Barbe-Clicquot, Camille Olry-Roederer and Louise
Pommery are just some of the gutsy women, who after becoming widows, inherited
their husband’s Champagne House. These
intrepid ladies cemented the brand, increased profitability and, in turn,
created the legacy that survives to this day.
We’ve heard about the babes*, but what’s in a Champagne bottle? A wine that comes from, yes you guessed
it, the region of Champagne.
The wine has also undergone a second fermentation in the bottle, which makes it
sparkle. In a nutshell, Champagne is usually
made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meurnier. The Pinots are black grape varieties, but in Champagne, they can make
white sparkling wines!
Like women, sparkling wine is incredibly complex and they’re
all different! The grape varieties,
colour, size of bubbles, sweetness, flavours – everything can vary. But one thing for sure, they can be very seductive
and extremely expensive! There are far
too many factors at work to describe all the styles of fizz. In any case, it’s so much easier to talk
about and understand the sparkling world with a glass in your hand. Look forward to seeing you at the Sparkling
Wine Tasting on 21st November!
There’s no better way to sum up Champagne other than with the words of Lily
Bollinger, someone who clearly worked hard and played even harder:
“I drink it when I’m
happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have
company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink
it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.”
* Anyone with that many
bottles of Champagne
can definitely be described as hot stuff