Divided into five parts, the first section looks at the process of making champagne and how the subtle blend of grapes produces a notable house style, as well as the vintage years and the special cuvées. The history of champagne is then discussed, from the earliest Champagne-makers, through the centuries – with effects of revolutions, wars and peacetime – to the establishment of the regulatory body, the Comité Champagne and, finally, the recent award of World Heritage status by UNESCO.
On The Champagne Trail, part three, is the core of this beautiful volume, providing individual entries on all the major Champagne Houses, the lesser estates, co-operatives, growers and variations of sparkling wine. Each entry contains a history of the House and explores the notable traits of their products, together with tasting notes recommending which champagne to try.
The fourth chapter discovers the growing interest in sparkling wines of the world while final section examines the social and cultural impact of champagne – how it has become a part of certain traditions; its development almost as a character in its own right in literature, film and song, whether it be as the tipple of the world’s favourite spy, James Bond, or the object of affection (or even disaffection!) for artists; and how the world would be a poorer place without it.
