France…Beyond the Grapes
Known for its wine, France also turns out its share of fine champagnes.
by
Jay
Michaels
From my earliest days growing up in the "Italian" area of Philadelphia, I have had an insatiable fascination with wine. Of course my early exposures to the, "nectar of the gods", was only from Huge oak kegs in my cellar and in those of my uncles. These men would grow the grapes in trellises in their yards, harvest them, squeeze every ounce of juice from them and then pour this aromatic liquid into the barrels. I would watch in wonder as each day they would tend to these kegs and nurture them just as a mother bird would do over her nest.
It was in those days that I thought that all wine must have been made exactly like this just as my father and his fathers before him had done. I used to love to watch the almost "ritual like" pride as the wine filled the glasses from, what seemed to me at the time, gigantic gallon jugs. The patriarch of the family had the distinct pleasure to share his bounty with the family.
Well, as I grew I quickly learned that wine came from other places too and my taste for the grape became more sophisticated along with my quest for knowledge of such a passionate drink. One thing I did discover in my journey's, however, was that when you think you have, "learned it all" your explorations into wine and its magnificent history take you to new levels of excitement.
This was most evident to me on a recent trip to France. I was called on to produce some television segments on the history of the wine regions of a country whose grapes are as much of an important of the culture as its people.
One particular company that I had the immense pleasure to spend some time with was Moet & Chandon. It was here, in this splendid region, that I did more than just another program on wines, but I became engulfed in the history that brought this company to the pinnacle that they are today. Here I was taken back to centuries past in the house of Moet & Chandon.
When I first step foot into this majestic mansion, on this small street in Epernay, I could feel the ghosts of long ago surrounding me with a comforting welcome. For it was here, in the house of Chandon, that every famous dignitary and notable of the 14th and 15th centuries would find peace, solace, good food, entertainment but especially the finest wines of the day. One could find great similarities to the entertaining at the White House, today, to those days at the house of Chandon. As I walked about on creaking hardwood floors I realized that I had found a company that surpassed merely marketing a delicious beverage in a bottle.
I also found fascinating, that here in the house of Chandon, the original pump organ where the great composer, Wagner, wrote some of his most famous waltzes. Also, Napoleon the Great would be known to frequent the Chandon house as this was his personal retreat. His visits are evident by the many paintings that pay tribute to him on the surrounding walls.
Today the name Moet & Chandon is synonymous with one of the finest champagnes in the world, named after the humble monk who discovered the formula, Dom Perignon, to some of the most memorable and palatable wines on the planet.
Join me in my next writing as I share with you some of the award winning wines of this company. And, always remember, bubbly is bubbly but it can only be called "Champagne" when it comes from the grapes harvested with tender care in this remarkable region of France!
France…Beyond the Grapes