Champagne's history is divided into seven significant periods. The region's early history saw rather humble beginnings. The 17th century ushered in the dawn of sparkling wine production. Dramatic social changes and civil unrest accompanied the French Revolution in the late 18th century followed by the Napoleonic Era. Champagne saw significant changes as a result of numerous innovations during the Industrial Revolution. The early 20th century was dominated by two world wars and a worldwide depression. Post war and recent history have seen the champagne industry recover and blossom into an illustrious era.
* The Early Years
* Sparkling Wine
* The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era
* Industrial Revolution
* Early 20th Century
* World War II
* Post War and Current
Early Champagne history began more than 2,000 years ago when tribal social groups settled the area. Gallic tribes inhabited the area and established cities such as the Remes who established Reims, the Tricasses who established Troyes and the Catalauni who established Chalons as early as 80 BC.
The word 'champagne' is derived from the Latin word, 'campania' referring to the open fields and countryside of the area. Evidence of wine can be traced back to the 5th century AD. Many major battles took place in the region throughout Champagne's early history.
Grapes were grown in Champagne as early as Roman times. Some believe wine grapes were already being grown before Julius Caesar arrived in 52 BC, but there is no documented proof. The first conclusive evidence of wine from Champagne is during the 5th century AD. Most historians agree, vines for wine grapes probably appeared near the beginning of the 5th century. Many historic events took place in and around the Champagne region.
Wine grew to become a symbol of prestige for noblemen and clergy. Monasteries were acquiring their own vineyards and making more and more wine. Vineyard holdings by abbeys increased significantly in the 7th century. Monks of the Catholic Church played a vital role in winemaking from the 6th century until the French Revolution late in the 18th century. The area was noted for quality production to the extent that kings of France were crowned in the Reims Cathedral in Champagne.
Dom Perignon arrived at the monastery in Hautvillers in 1668. Dom Pierre Perignon's accomplishments were remarkable. The monk did much to improve winemaking, including improving vineyard management, devising the blending practice, and perfecting the method for making white wine from dark grapes in Champagne.
Sparkling wine began in England in the middle of the17th century using still wine from Champagne. The sparkling wine industry took root in Champagne late in the 17th century.
In the last years of the 17th century (probably around 1695) the first French sparkling wine production began in Champagne. Ruinart, the oldest surviving Champagne house to exclusively produce sparkling wine, was established in 1729. Others such as Moet, Roederer, Clicquot and Heidsieck followed. We report on the history of each Champagne House we cover on our champagne brands pages.
Go to our Sparkling Wine History report for details on 17th Century sparkling wine.
The beginning of the French Revolution brought irate mobs to the city of Reims in the summer of 1789 with calls for freedom and equality. The elite aristocracy and the clergy were targets of great resentment from the working class.
Jean-Antoine Chaptal, Minister of the Interior for Napoleon, presented his scientific dissertation: The Art of Making, Controlling and Perfecting Wines, published in 1801 and advocating adding sugar to juice to increase alcohol content in wine. The process later became known as chaptalization and is regarded as a great advancement in winemaking.
During the revolution and subsequent Napoleonic wars, one of the biggest changes was stripping the monasteries and churches of their land and resources. Land was sold off in parcels. Only one monastery vineyard in the area was kept intact by the government, the vineyard at Hautvillers where Dom Perignon had worked.
Another determent to sales were the many blockades Napoleon put up throughout Europe, slowing exports considerably. Napoleon, with his passion for champagne, made a habit of passing through the Champagne area before beginning a military campaign to gather wine and supplies for himself and his troops.
In 1814 Napoleon fought his last battles before his initial abdication and exile to Elba in the area around Champagne. The victorious Russians and Prussians occupied the regions of Champagne and developed their own taste for champagne during their stay.
Napoleon escaped Elba and returned to France in 1815. He quickly rebuilt his troops. Ironically, he did not stop in Champagne to stock up with their wine before his march to Waterloo and his final defeat. The outcome subsequently restored Louis XVIII to King of France and sent Napoleon to his final exile on the island of Saint Helena off the African coast. After the war, Russia became one of the largest importers of champagne.
The industrial revolution ushered in multiple innovations and advancements throughout the 19th century. Veuve Clicquot hired Antoine Muller in 1810 and the pupitre was developed. The pupitre is a device consisting of 2 rectangular planks with a hinge at the top to form an upside down V with 60 holes on each side cut at 45° angles. The new device accommodated the process of remuage. The process included inserting bottles in a vertical position and rotating them at regular intervals until the bottles were in an upside down position. The dead yeast cells (or lees) were collected in the neck of the bottle. The invention and process were kept secret for use only at the widow's house until about 1821.
In the mid 1830s Andre Francois invented a way to measure the specific amount of residual sugar in wine with the creation of the sucre oenometre. Once the amount of sugar was identified, it could be determined how much yeast and additional sugar should be added to generate the secondary bottle fermentation. This precision lessened the chance of bottle explosions. Until this tool and formula were identified there remained a problem with bottles exploding randomly, even with the stronger glass. It is estimated that prior to this time, up to 50% of the bottles exploded due to the pressure caused by adding improper amounts of yeast or sugar. It was a dangerous place to work prior to this development. Cellar workers generally wore iron masks to protect themselves from chance explosions.
In 1844 Adolphe Jacquesson developed the wire cage used to keep the cork in place. In 1852 he also developed a machine to wash bottles.
In 1857 Louis Pasteur developed the concept that fermentation was biological and caused by microscopic organisms. Pasteur's experiments led to a much greater understanding of the function of yeast and the overall process of wine and beer making.
In 1884 a Belgian, Armand Walfart, developed a new system for disgorgement, "degorgement a la glace", which incorporates a shallow container filled with a salt solution kept at a very cold temperature. The necks of bottles that had been riddled are placed in the solution. The dead yeast cells, or lees, collect in the neck to form a mushy plug at the low temperature. The bottle is turned upright and the plug remains in place while the cork is quickly removed. The internal pressure expels the plug, but the lower temperature causes the pressure to decrease enough so most of the clear wine remains in the bottle.
Initially and well into the 19th century, all champagne was sweet, very sweet. How was it that this dessert wine would evolve into the widely produced dry "brut" style so popular today? This was another milestone during the 1800s. In its earlier days, champagne would contain from just over 100 grams per liter (somewhat preferred in the United States at the time) to more than 300 grams per liter (which was the Russians' preference of the day). "Sec" or "dry" along with "extra sec" or "extra dry" were apparently being produced in the 1850s and 60s. Legend implies that a London wine merchant tasted one of the 1846 vintage champagnes in its unsweetened form and determined it would be a great wine to drink with a meal. Afterward many producers began making champagne with much lower residual sugar levels.
Today it is speculative as to the amount of residual sugar associated with the terms "dry" and "extra dry" at that time. They were obviously drier than the basic dessert style that had been the main production. Some may have had no residual sugar at all. In reality, the term "brut" was not associated with champagne until a few years later. Perhaps it is a possibility that "dry" and "extra dry" evolved over time into styles sweeter than brut in today's terms, but again, that is speculative. Brut translates to raw or crude, which is certainly understood to indicate a dry state. The house of Pommery claims to have produced the first truly "brut" style of champagne, the 1874 "Nature" that was shipped solely to England in 1879. Today's "brut" contains less than 12 grams per liter of residual sugar. Reportedly, the brut designation was originally created for the British market.
Dosage machines began appearing as early as the 1840s. Other innovations that helped industrialize the process for making champagne included the incorporation of corking machines. Continued innovations in the disgorgement process also helped increase production. The industrialization of champagne making led to increased annual production from about 600,000 bottles at the beginning of the century to about 30 million by the end of the 1800s. It also made the luxury product, once only obtainable by the aristocrats and nobility, accessible to the middle class.
One of the biggest challenges to Champagne struck near the end of the 19th century, the dreaded phylloxera louse. Phylloxera found its way to the area around 1890 causing huge losses of vines.
Champagne's original proposed boundaries were drawn in 1908. Those that were left out of the defined Champagne area were irate. Thousands of growers took to the streets and the infamous Champagne Riots began in 1911. Revolt occurred throughout the area but the village of Aÿ was at the center of the mutiny. Champagne houses were ransacked, merchants' homes were vandalized and burned and vineyards were set on fire. The French government sent 40,000 military troops to the area to restore peace. Compromises were agreed upon and boundaries outlining villages with vineyards that could be used in production were identified. Before any settlement could be finalized, the Germans arrived in Reims and Epernay with the outbreak of World War One in August of 1914.
Germans occupied the area for most of the war. Wine production continued, but at about half the pre-war numbers. The fighting ended after the armistice took effect in November of 1918. The Treaty of Versailles was later signed in June, 1919. When the war ended, only a handful of habitable buildings still stood in Reims.
The French government soon returned to the task of determining the regulations that would dictate appellation and other production requirements. The final resolution of boundary lines was reached in 1927. July of 1935 saw the creation of the Comite National des Appellations d'Origine. The organization later became the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (the I.N.A.O) in 1947.
The Great Depression officially began in 1929 with the United States stock market crash in October of the same year. Countries around the world were affected. Grape prices in Champagne dropped by about 50%.
World War II officially began in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland. France surrendered in 1940. The Champagne area did not turn into a major battleground as had been the case in World War I, but the area was occupied by German forces for four tumultuous years.
Some wine was produced during the four year German occupation, but not much. The Germans confiscated large quantities of wine calling the confiscation a levy. An arrangement was established between the Champenois and the Germans that allowed business to continue in the area. The Germans encouraged production so they could continue to be supplied with wine. They eventually set up a system to promote production, but they also continued to impose heavy taxes on sales. There were some very good vintages during the war (such as 1943), just in limited quantities.
In 1941 the C.I.V.C. (Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne) was formed to improve relations between growers and merchants and to help establish cooperation with the Germans. The organization is still in existence today and functions as a trade organization established by law to direct the common interests of merchants and growers.
General Patton and his army liberated Epernay and Reims in August, 1944. The first "Instrument of Surrender" ending World War II was signed in Reims on May 7, 1945 in a red brick schoolhouse that functioned as Allied headquarters. It remains today as a war museum.
Slowly the aftereffects of the 2nd World War began to disappear. Champagne Houses finally began to expand by the mid 1950s. The incorporation of the VAT (Value Added Tax) took effect in 1968.
The basics of the traditional method of production (methode champenois) have remained the same for centuries, but the process continues to evolve even today. Many innovations such as automated disgorgement and corking, girasols / gyropalettes for riddling, advancements in cork stoppers to minimize faults have continually modernized the process. There are many other advancements that are part of the industry's history, too many to cover in this brief overview.
In addition to this snapshot of the overall history of 'la Champagne' and 'le champagne', each individual house has history all its own. Some of the key players over the years have been Veuve Cliquot, Bollinger, Krug, Roederer, Moet and many more. For a more comprehensive understanding of the history of champagne, refer to the history section at the bottom of the individual houses.