Ah, Champagne. We’re talking the real stuff, from Champagne, France. Everything else is sparkling wine, perfectly lovely in most cases. But there’s just something about the original.
So when we got an invitation to party in Beverly Hills with Vitalie Taittinger, whose family owns the famous high end label, heck, yes, we jumped at it. Who better to explain the mystique? The romance? And with Valentine’s Day almost upon us, why not?
The party was hosted by Jordane Andrieu, of Héritage Wines, in Beverly Hills, and was very chi-chi, which was kind of scary because we’re anything but chi-chi. Still, with the bubbly flowing like a fountain (and in the video, rather literally), who cared? Ms. Taittinger was a little late, so we got antsy and started asking anyone and everyone what is about Champagne that we associate it so firmly with romance?
Champagne is sophisticated and light
Kendra Walker thought it was about the bubbles,
“Bubbly is romantic because it’s effervescent and light,” White said.
Her friend, Dana Prieto, agreed.
“Bubbly is just fancy,” Prieto said. “That’s why it’s so great.”
“I think it’s just the fact that it literally looks beautiful in a glass,” said Annie Trevino. “You feel so sophisticated when you’re drinking it. And the way you feel after you’ve had a glass or two is kind of different compared to any other kind of spirit, rather beer or hard liquor. It makes you feel light. And I think that’s a beautiful thing.”
Publicist Dana Bruneau pointed out that it’s very easy to write copy about Champagne.
“Honestly, it’s so fluid,” she said. “You don’t even have to think about it. I mean, the craziest stuff can come to your mind, like seduction and sultry and creamy and silky. So many adjectives to describe champagne.”
And Renita White came up with yet another
“It’s velvety,” she said.
Yep. Good Champagne does feel a little like velvet going down.
Ms. Taittinger has her say
But then Ms. Taittinger showed up and here’s what she had to say about the connection between Champagne and romance.
“I think that Champagne is special because of the terroir and the minerality and everything, but at the end it’s also special because it’s not only a wine, it’s also a symbol. A symbol of celebration, a symbol of joy, happiness,” Taittinger said, adding that it can be hard to pin down why it’s so romantic. “I think you just have to drink a glass of it to understand that. Because the effect of champagne on people is just that it gives you so much energy, power, love, freedom, that you’re happy.”
Ah, but some folks we know have gotten very sick drinking Champagne.
“But that’s a good point because you can drink a lot of good champagne without to be sick,” Taittinger said. “I think when you have a good champagne, you are never sick.”
At least, we weren’t sick the next morning. Still, even with as good a thing as really good bubbly, it doesn’t hurt to moderate it a bit.