You can call it luxurious. You can call it sparkling wine. But only if it is from France, may you call it champagne! Today Champenois are reaping the rewards of many centuries of hard work in the exclusive Champagne appellation; a region that has come to represent a worldwide benchmark for quality, authenticity and excellence. And, to highlight the drink that need not be saved for only special occasions, the Champagne Bureau has named Global Champagne Day annually.
Global Champagne Day is designed so that champagne enthusiasts, all over the world, will gather together in ‘virtual appreciation’ of everything champagne. It really is a Social Media Experiential Day for all. The day even has its own social media hashtag: #ChampagneDayGlobal and website: www.champagneday.fr/.
The 24-hour event is now in its fifth year and encourages consumers to blog, tweet and post their thoughts about the French sparkling wine by using the #ChampagneDay hashtag. Yes, Friday, October 23, 2015, is 6th International Champagne Day!
Champagne has a rich history. Fossil evidence shows that wild vines flourished in the Champagne region. However, it was the Romans in AD 79 who laid much of the groundwork for the now world-famous Champagne appellation. The Romans recognized the exceptional terroir they began to develop the vineyards and introduce forward thinking winemaking techniques. They also quarried the chalk creating vast chalk pits (crayères) now used as cellars by the Champagne Houses. The name even derives from Latin - ‘campus’, ‘campania’ meaning field and in old French this became ‘champaign’.
CITYPEEK sought out to interview world renown experts to gt their views of Champagne and its International Holiday:
Champagne expert, Maria Denton, a Master of Champagne and Certified Sommelier, is an advocate for daily champagne sipping, she tells CITYPEEK, in an exclusive interview, "In this country, it seems we always seem to save Champagne for special occasions, but Champagne is one of the most versatile wines in the world. It can be enjoyed with every course in a meal—as Non-Vintage selection an aperitif, a nice Vintage Blanc with a first course seafood dish, a richer Rosé with meats like duck or pork, and a Demi-Sec to enjoy with a light dessert or cheese course.
There really is no substitute for “real” Champagne...nothing elevates an experience like Champagne. The Champenois have over 300 years of experience in creating these remarkable wines, and their terroir is exceptionally suited to creating the kind of laser-focused white wines that can withstand long aging on the lees in the bottle."
Julie Dalton, Lead S
ommelier at Wit & Wisdom in Four Seasons Baltimore, an Advanced Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers chimed in and with a 50% off offer: (photo courtesy Facebook).
"Although in my book *every* day is Champagne Day, today is the official International Champagne Day. Time for bubbles, anyone? Come to Wit & Wisdom for 1/2 off any bottle of Champagne all day long. 'Everyone needs more hugs in their life, right? Drinking Champagne is like getting a hug from the inside out. '
Raz Mariam Razavi, of Wines by Raz, "highly recommends to sip on Champagne daily, especially, Canard Duchene
88 Points | Stephen Tanzer's IWC - (50% chardonnay, 40% pinot meunier and 10% pinot noir, all certified organic by Agriculture Biologique: Light gold. Fresh apple and lemon aromas and flavors are complemented by subtle floral and honey nuances. Light-bodied and clean, with good lift and finishing cut. In an understated, relatively straightforward style that's quite easy to drink.
"Champagne Day and its Friday? This must be heaven! I am often sked as a wine professional with my favorite wine is which is a hard question to answer. I can definitely say that in my top 3 favorites woudl be a French Champagne--its delicious versatile with food and just makes me happy!" says sommelier Laurie Forster known as The Wine Coach. Laurie is the author of The Sipping Point: A Crash Course in Wine and a regular guest on TV and radio.
Every day is champagne day in Reims, France. Try a champagne tour. We found one: La Vigne du Roy Champagne Tours, a family run business based in the heart of Champagne, specializing in private tours of the Champagne region. Try a 1/2, full or multple day tour of the region where champagne is king!
The top exporters of Champagne worldwide are: Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Piper Heidsieck, Laurent Perrier, Pommery, Pol Roger, Mumm, Nicolas Feuillatte, Lanson, Taittinger and Perrier Jouët. In 2011 19.4 million bottles of Champagne were shipped into just the United States! 308 million bottles were shipped worldwide in 2012.
The Champagne Bureau located in Washington, DC, is the U.S. representative of the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), the trade association that represents all the grape growers and houses of Champagne, France. The Bureau works to educate American consumers about the uniqueness of the wines of Champagne and expand their understanding of the need to protect the Champagne name in the United States. It has awarded this Friday to be National Champagne Day.
Now, what to eat with all the bubbles? Hmmmm, so many choices.
Patti Neumann is Publisher/Founder of CITYPEEK.com
& an award-winning 21 C Social Media Publicist/Influencer
on food, sips, hospitality & the good life.
CITYPEEK.com has its finger on the pulse of what's hot.
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