Champagne: How the World's Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times

By Don Kladstrup and Petie Kladstrup

Throughout history, waves of invaders have coveted the northeast corner of France: Attila the Hun in the fifth century, the English in the Hundred Years War, the Prussians in the nineteenth century. Yet this region – which historians say has suffered more battles and wars than any other place on earth – is also the birthplace of one thing the entire world equates with good times, friendship and celebration: champagne.

Champagne is the story of the world's favourite wine. It tells how a sparkling beverage that became the toast of society during the Belle Epoque emerged after World War I as a global icon of fine taste and good living. The book celebrates the gutsy, larger–than–life characters whose proud determination nurtured and preserved the land and its grapes throughout centuries of conflict.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 18, 2010
• ISBN: 9780062013057

Reviews for Champagne

[exvivre · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Terroir is the effect that certain regions and climates have on grapes and wines. Given the turbulent history of the Champagne region, it seems apropos that the wine of the same name should explode out of the bottle. In this book, the Kladstrups tell the story of the region and its wine and how each have developed over time. From Dom Perignon and Louis XIV to the great champagne houses and world wars, this book captures the essence of Champagne.