lled The Healing Power of Champagne – History, Traditions, Biology and Diet and it is written by Dr Tran Ky & Dr F Drouard, published by Savoir-Boire Ltd. It tells you all the good things Champagne can do for you in case you suffer from appetite loss, obesity, migraine, depression, gynaecological troubles, food allergies and much more. It even has a “technical appendix” on various good or bad substances.Champagne has long been famous for its romance and the effect that it can have upon beautiful women but I was surprised to learn that it can also beautify them as well. In 1745 Louis XV’s favourite, The Marquise de Pompadour proclaimed that “champagne is the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking”. The shallow champagne glass originated with Madame de Pompadour. It was first formed from wax moulds made of her breasts!
The Benedictine Monk Dom Pierre Perignon invented Champagne. He was appointed treasurer at the Abbey of Hautvillers in 1688. The Abbey is located near Epernay. Included in Dom Pérignon's duties was the management of the cellars and wine making. He is reputed to have shouted "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!" when he first tasted his creation. Dom Perignon invented the mushroom shaped cork and wire cage that allowed champagne to be safely bottled. Previous attempts had all ended with popped corks. True Champagne, of course, only comes from France!
Champagne has inspired the world’s great leaders, artists, writers and musicians. Our own statesman Sir Winston Churchill wrote that Champagne should be
a daily delight for those who knew the true meaning of life. In 1736, Voltaire wrote of ‘the sparkling froth of these fresh wines is the sparkling image of us, the French’. Chopin declared that Champagne would make him witty and indeed, a little mad. The great writer, Alexandre Dumas, claimed that he placed a glass of Champagne beside his inkwell in order to give his pen a sparkling inspiration.Beethoven wrote a symphony of praise to the wine, but Wagner, bitterly disappointed by the failure of Tannhauser in Paris, was reconciled with France only thanks to this wine ‘which alone had renewed his zest for life’.
At the turn of the century, painters were frequently depicting Champagne in their works. You can see it in the paintings of Utrillo and Toulouse Lautrec, and Manet (not to be confused with Monet) paints the wine in his ‘Bar at the Folies Bergère’, and between the two lovers in ‘Chez Father Lathuile’.
The bubbles of Champagne are naturally at the tables of film and theatre stars. Marlene Dietrich wrote that she loved Champagne because ‘it gives the impression that it is Sunday and that the best days will soon be upon us’. In Ninotchka Greta Garbo plays a Russian girl who discovers Champagne when visiting Paris and among many other film stars, Audrey Hepburn, Jeanne Moreau, Marilyn Monroe and Juliette Binoche all loved Champagne, while Mistinguett and Maurice Chevalier celebrated it in songs.
From Pushkin to Henry Miller, from Hemingway to Balzac, from Maupassant to Colette, Françoise Sagan, John le Carré and Ian Fleming - creator of Champagne connoisseur James Bond – innumerable novelists have given the heroes and heroines of their books more than the odd glass of Champagne. Truman Capote, that most provocative of American writers, claimed that to laugh in the face of death, nothing worked better than a glass of Champagne.
As is fitting for a wine loved by Kings, Champagne comes in various sizes bottles all named after the Kings of Antiquity.
Jeroboam (4 bottles) - Once King of Israel, who died in 912 BC
Rehoboam (6 bottles) - Named for the son of Solomon who died in 922 BC
Methuselah (8 bottles) - Named for the theory that the bigger the bottle the longer quality the champagne will be able to age. Methuselah was the Biblical individual who lived 969 years and has become a synonym for longevity
Salmanazar (12 bottles) - Name comes from an Assyrian Prince.
Balthazar (16 bottles) - Named for one of the three wise men that brought gifts to the infant Jesus and meaning “king sized!”
Nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles) - Named for the king of Babylon from 605 to 562 BC under whose rule Babylon flourished and represents the biggest king sized.
Given the benefits of Champagne there are only two adverse effects that I can think of, firstly “over indulgence”. And secondly “mishandling” - a cork will escape a bottle of Champagne at 38-40 mph, so be careful when opening!
There are approximately 49 million bubbles in a bottle of Champagne and I intend to enjoy each and every one of them!
Having hunted high and low to bring our customers an exclusive range of quality Champagnes at affordable prices, our selection of Philippe Seconde Champagnes would grace any table for any occasion. The Vintage, Blanc de Noir (Pure Pinot Noir Grape), Grande Reserve as well as the Rosé all offer something different to the palette but all exude the quality and reverence of a superb glass of fizz. Try it and see for yourself!
(From Sue . . .)
Haha! I know what my Birthday present is now! What a sweetie! I have found a superbly romantic meal to thank Nick with. . .
Crabmeat-Stuffed Red Snapper with Champagne Beurre Blanc
1 (6-pound) snapper
2 pounds lump crabmeat
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1/2 cup minced pimiento
1 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup minced celery
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 slices white bread, without crusts
1 cup milk 1/2 cup
(4 oz) unsalted butter
1 cup brut champagne
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bone the snapper, leaving the head and tail intact. Pick over crabmeat for filament, and toss with vegetables, butter, and seasonings. Soak bread in milk, squeeze out the excess, and crumble the soggy bread into crabmeat mixture. Stuff the snapper with the crab mixture and place in a shallow baking pan. Moisten with champagne, dot with butter, add salt and pepper to taste and bake for about 30 minutes.
Yield 6 servings.
2 pounds lump crabmeat
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1/2 cup minced pimiento
1 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup minced celery
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 slices white bread, without crusts
1 cup milk 1/2 cup
(4 oz) unsalted butter
1 cup brut champagne
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bone the snapper, leaving the head and tail intact. Pick over crabmeat for filament, and toss with vegetables, butter, and seasonings. Soak bread in milk, squeeze out the excess, and crumble the soggy bread into crabmeat mixture. Stuff the snapper with the crab mixture and place in a shallow baking pan. Moisten with champagne, dot with butter, add salt and pepper to taste and bake for about 30 minutes.
Yield 6 servings.
Champagne Beurre Blanc
1 bottle brut champagne
2 cups finely chopped spring onions
Strong dash of Tabasco
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 1/2 pounds unsalted butter
Cut the butter into 1-ounce pieces and keep chilled. Boil the champagne fiercely over a high flame, with the spring onions and seasonings, until the pan is very nearly dry. Whisk butter into the hot, damp scallions, still over a high flame. When all the butter is absorbed, remove the pan from the heat, let cool briefly, and strain into a sauce boat. Serve at once.
Yield: 3 cups
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www.yotophoto.com, www.flickr.com and www.sxc.hu.com
2 cups finely chopped spring onions
Strong dash of Tabasco
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 1/2 pounds unsalted butter
Cut the butter into 1-ounce pieces and keep chilled. Boil the champagne fiercely over a high flame, with the spring onions and seasonings, until the pan is very nearly dry. Whisk butter into the hot, damp scallions, still over a high flame. When all the butter is absorbed, remove the pan from the heat, let cool briefly, and strain into a sauce boat. Serve at once.
Yield: 3 cups
Images Courtesy of
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