“I only drink champagne 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 am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty”. Lily Bollinger                                                     I think Ms. Bollinger fully understood the concept of keeping calm and drinking champagne or drinking champagne to keep calm…

Here in the United States, we save the bubbly for a “special occasion which is  just plain silly, Ms. Bollinger understood how and when it should be drunk-all the time.  Champagnes and Sparkling Wines are a blend of three grapes; the white chardonnay grape and two red grapes, pinot noir and pinot meunier. Most champagnes and sparkling wines are a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, from across several vintages.

The wine ranges from dry to sweet:
Demi-Sec- The sweetest of champagnes/sparkling wines, not as sweet as dessert wines.  It means “half sweet.”
Dry- A bit drier than demi-sec
Extra Dry-A step drier than dry
Brut- The driest form and the most popular

In addition to the traditional champagne blend, there are some special categories which can be more expensive than the traditional champagne blends mentioned above.
*Blanc de Blancs, made only with chardonnay grapes. It goes well with lighter foods, such as seafood and vegetables or as a pre-dinner aperitif.
*Blanc de Noirs, made solely from red pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes, has a deeper golden color than the blanc de blancs. It makes a great pairing with full-flavored foods, such as meat and cheese. These champagnes tend to be rare and expensive.
*Rosé. The color comes from the addition of pinot noir wine at the second fermentation, the point at which still wine becomes champagne.

We’ll be sharing many food pairing and champagne cocktail ideas while talking with the experts who’ll offer us delectable suggestions.  Can’t wait!

56,000,000 bubbles. Yep that’s 56 million (I counted them, no not really) in a bottle of sparkling wine.  All those bubbles are the result of extra carbon dioxide-six atmosphere of pressure of carbon dioxide to be exact, dissolved within a bottle of sparkling wine.

When we say “Sparkling Wine” Champagne is the most famous. All Champagne is Sparkling Wine, but not all Sparkling Wine is Champagne. Huh?  Yes, it is true, in order for a Sparkling Wine to be called ‘Champagne’ on the label, verbally or as you sip, it must be produced in the Champagne region located in northern France-which is comprised of the towns of Reims, Epernay and Ay.

Since regions around the world rely on their geographic indication to differentiate themselves from other areas and to protect the name of Champagne, France in 1891 made it illegal for any vineyard not in the Champagne region of France to make a drink and call it “Champagne.” When it comes to wine, there is no ingredient more important than location (location, location, location). The land, air, water and weather where grapes are grown are a big part of what makes each wine unique.  The ban on calling Sparkling Wine “Champagne” was even written into the Treaty of Versailles which marked the end of WWI, making it law in every country that signed it.  Since the United States never signed the Treaty of Versailles, American yineyards were never forced to follow this law until recently. The U.S. amended our tax code to restrict the use of the name ‘champagne’ for all new wines made after 2006.  Wines made prior to 2006 can use the name ‘Champagne’ on their labels only when accompanied by a notification of their actual origin (i.e. Napa Valley CA) so there is no confusion.

Sparkling Wine produced outside of the Champagne region in northern France is called by other names; In Rome Italy do as the Romans do and drink Spumante or Frizzante.  A Sparkling Wine from South Africa is called Cape Classique.  Sparkling Wine from Germany is called Sekt.  The New World Wine producers which include California, Washington State, Oregon, Michigan, Argentina, Chile Australia, New Zealand refer to their wine as just Sparkling Wine.

There is a movement toward truth-in-labeling laws that protect consumers by requiring that the wine growing places are reserved exclusively for the regions where the wine comes from.  Learn more on The Champagne Bureau website, www.champagne.us the official U.S. representative of the of the Comite’ Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) a trade association which represents the grape growers and houses of Champagne, France. The bureau works to educate U.S. consumers about the uniqueness of the wines of Champagne and expand their understanding of the need to protect the Champagne name.  There is a petition that you can sign on their site to protect wines places and origin names if you are interested.

Champagne Baubles Champagne Cap Jewelry

Jewelry with Champagne Caps! Who has heard of such a thing?  When I discovered the art work on champagne caps, I was memorized.  The designs, images, fonts and colors on the muselet et capsules (plaque de muselet) is fascinating to me.-they are works of art that the champagne/sparkling wine houses display there brands on.  This blog Champagne Gossip is our sister site to ChampagneBaubles~ChampagneCapCouture  www.cbjshop.com where our jewelry designed with champagne caps is for sale.

Once you start to look at the art on the champagne capsules I think you will be impressed and want to be part of this new trend.  One of my favorite things to do is combine the muselet et capsules together either by color, brand or design to design a bracelet, earrings or pin that I think you will love.  The caps are set in a 14k gold or silver tone setting with four Swarovski crystal stones set in the bezel to compliment the colors in the caps. And because we just love, love, love the reverse side of the bracelet, we are working on a clasp that will allow the bracelets to be reversible.

Yes, of course you can send us your personal champagne capsules to use in the jewelry. We do it often to commemorate a special occasion:  Congratulations; Wedding; Anniversary; Wine Clubs; Remembrance of tour of champagne/sparkling wine houses; Job promotion; Divorce; ‘Didn’t we have fun last night’; etc.  Just send us your caps and we will design something beauTiful. (the form is on www.cbjshop.com)

Champagne Baubles~Champagne Cap Jewelry is the perfect gift for the wine enthusiasts or just because they are so darn unique, pretty and have a giant “cool” factor. Champagne Baubles~Champagne Cap Couture www.cbjshop.com Get in on the trend…

“We raise our champagne flutes high and celebrate you with admiration”                                    ~Thank you Steve Jobs~

Celebrate Global Champagne Day

October 28 is National Champagne Day! Around the world champagne enthusiasts will gather in ‘virtual appreciation’ of the Champange wines of France to celebrate the 2nd  Global Champagne Day.

Champagne-The French region of Champagne (comprised of the towns of Rhiems, Epernay and Ay) was the first region in the world to make sparkling wine in any quantity.  Today, the name of the region is synonymous with the finest of all sparkling wines, and winemaking traditions of Champagne have become role models for sparkling wine producers, worldwide. Surprisingly, the region of Champagne is now responsible for only one bottle in 12 of all sparkling wine produced. And the name ‘Champagne’ can only be referred to with wines grown in the Champagne region.  Styles of champagne range from the basic brut (often blends of several vintages), single vintage champagnes, and rose.  So pick up one or some bottles of true Champagne and join the global day tasting celebration whether in person or online as we will sip, savor and share.

It’s easy to participate. .. Share your photos, tasting notes, experiences, videos on any social media site.  It  will be “sparkly” fun for sure.

Twitter  #champagneday
FaceBook: Global Champagne Day 2011

"Holly GoLightly Party" by Vivienne Strauss

Vivienne Strauss’s painting “None of the Girls Would Dream of Missing Evangeline Boatwright’s Annual Holly Golightly Party- took me right in to this quirky wonderful painting (and yes, the print is hanging in my house).  Immediately I was Audrey Hepburn, wearing the perfect little black dress, sipping champagne and listening to all the gossip at Evangeline Boatwright’s party, it was just too perfect for Champagne Gossip.  I can just image the stories and don’t we all just love a good story?  Certainly visit Vivienne’s Esty shop  www.etsy.com/shop/vivstrauss and view more of her wonderful paintings.

“Ya gotta have art, all you really need is art” As I have been envisioning this blog (for too long a time now) I wanted not only to provide educational and interesting information about champagnes and sparkling wines but include other things, stuff, finds, call it what you will that would make you feel pretty and fun and smart and happy and joyfulness and peaceful when you looked at them.  I have built up quite a clip file now.  While designing this blog, I contacted a few artists whose work I had found online that brought up some of the feelings mentioned.
Sooooo, I contacted them and asked if they would agree to let me use their art on this site.  They all were very gracious and I am grateful.  To me their art is lovely, pretty, makes me smile and reminds me that yes, I do need to travel more, learn about new places and experience new sparkly things… I am happy to share opt’s (other people’s talents) with you and hope that you too enjoy them as much as I do.  And yes of course, head over to their websites to see more of their art or books or music and purchase some if you will. “Thank you very much” (quoting here from the book Eloise at the Plaza”)

"Pink Cherubs" by Anne Harwell

‘Pink Cerub’s by artist Anne Harwell is our featured image for the category of Books Art & Music.  When I found Anne’s Etsy shop  www.etsy.com/shop/annechovie I fell in love with not only  ’Pink Cherubs’  but a few others that are now hanging in my home.   If you click on the thumbnail, a window will open and you’ll be at Anne’s shop or you can just look and enjoy it here-”think pink, it’s a better way of  life.”   Oh, and one more thing, those that follow the Detroit Tigers baseball team (as I do) will know and remember the “voice of the Tigers”  Ernie Harwell, yes,  Anne is his granddaughter…

 

Champagne Shopping by Carol Gillott

Carol Gillott of Paris Breakfast is a world traveler with stops in Paris 4 times a year.  When you visit her blog it is so evident that Carol has captured Paris.  Her watercolors are inspired from the thousands of photographs she takes to create these wonderful paintings that make you wonder why you are not in Paris sipping champagne and enjoying a croissant with her. I guarantee that once you visit www.parisbreakfast.com you will bookmark it to visit often. Sometimes I just go to her site to look, read and imagine what it would be like to taste the beautiful pastries she has photographed on her site while visiting the Paris flee markets looking for special and sparkly finds, which of course would include champagne capsules…  And if you want to have a portrait of your dog or cat in Paris, Carol can paint you a beauTiful portrait.

'Holly GoLightly Party' by Vivienne Strauss

Vivienne Strauss’s painting “None of the Girls Would Dream of Missing Evangeline Boatwright’s Annual Holly Golightly Party- took me right in to this quirky wonderful painting (and yes, the print is hanging in my house).  Immediately I was Audrey Hepburn, wearing the perfect little black dress, sipping champagne and listening to all the gossip at Evangeline Boatwright’s party, it was just too perfect for Champagne Gossip.  I can just image the stories and don’t we all just love a good story?  Certainly visit Vivienne’s Esty shop  www.etsy.com/shop/vivstrauss and view more of her wonderful paintings.

Behind the Bottle

“We love Champagne” You know we love a good story here on Champagne Gossip. If I hadn’t become so intrigued with the art work on champagne caps and started Champagne Baubles~our jewelry line designed with champagne caps, I would of been a history teacher.  I really enjoy imaging the events or moments from the viewpoint of the person and people whose lives were affected by the events of  the day.  The story of champagne’s history is strong and soooo interesting with the who, what, where and why I can’t wait to share “Behind the Bottle.”  Naturally we will talk about the tastes of champagne and sparkling wines, but this is Champagne Gossip and we want to share with with you the stories, the history, the gossip of the industry…  Weekly we will be writing about a particular champagne or sparkling wine house and include educational, informative and fun facts for you to impress your friends with. This is going to be so much more than just talking about the type of grape used in the wine and why you should drink out of a flute rather than those beautiful etched round champagne glasses from the 1940′s. We’ll be taking about what happened and what is happening not only in the bottle but “Behind the Bottle.”

“Come closer, I’ve got stuff to tell you” We just know too much champagne and sparkling wine to keep quiet about it.  And we have to admit that although champagne and sparkling wine is always our first choice, we also have been known to open up a bottle or two of wine.  We love eating good food that compliments champagne and wine– okay, so often that food is chocolate.  Is that so bad?

ChampagneGossip shares what’s happening at the different champagne houses in France as well as others’ in Europe and around the globe. And here stateside we will continue the gossip, I mean sharing of interesting and fun things about what is happening in the sparkling wine industry in Napa Valley, Sonoma and other regions in the US including northern Michigan… you know-everywhere that’s anywhere. Then, if you’re travelling, you can make a stop (or two) at one of the champagne/sparkling wine houses and join in the tours and have even more fun.

We will include enticing recipes to create [easy] gourmet dishes and desserts, as well as suggestions for interesting chocolates, fruits and cheeses  that compliment certain well-loved champagnes and sparkling wines.

Also, keep your eye out for articles, books, video, music, art, and travel , and some mp3 interviews with those in the know in the champagne and wine world.  We just love good gossip, don’t you?

Oh– and please remember, we only think we know it all.  We absolutely love any suggestions, recommendations, and advice you have to offer. Thank you~Merci for leaving us a comment or emailing.