Happy birthday, champagne: the most interesting facts about sparkling drink. Champagne Day: interesting modern traditions

All over the world, no celebration is complete without a glass of ice-cold champagne. It was drunk by kings and merchants, aristocrats and hussars. Pushkin himself mentioned champagne in the novel "Eugene Onegin", and the famous composer Johann Strauss wrote a polka in honor of him. Perhaps this magical sparkling drink, like no other, has earned the right to its own holiday. And there really is one - it is customary to celebrate the birthday of champagne August 4.

How champagne was born

Many countries claim to bear the proud title of the birthplace of this sparkling wine. The Swiss assure that they also have a village called Champagne, and foamy drinks were produced there back in the 10th century, when there was no mention of the monk Perignon. They are interrupted by the Italians, arguing that sparkling wines were already served at the court of the Roman emperors a couple of millennia ago, so the first champagne probably appeared in Italy. And the Cypriots claim that varietal grapes, from which the best champagne is made, the French crusaders were taken out of Cyprus.

However, the French, listening to such disputes, only grin. They firmly know that Champagne Day is their holiday, and in the city of Epernay, in the province of Champagne, a monument to Pierre Perignon was erected as proof of this as the discoverer of this divine drink.

And it was like that. In one of the Benedictine monasteries in the center of Champagne, the monk Perignon was in charge of the cellar, including stocks of wine. One day he noticed that some of the white wines were fermenting, but new drink had nice smell and many small running bubbles. Father Perignon began to experiment with grape varieties, with the thickness of glass in bottles, with different corks. And according to legend, it was on August 4, 1668, after decades of trial and error, that he received perfect wine- light, sparkling, fragrant - and presented it to the abbot. This was the first real champagne.

By the way, the merit of the monk is not only in the invention of the drink - he was the first to suggest tightly corking bottles with cork oak bark and serving sparkling wine in thin tall glasses so that its unearthly taste and aroma could reveal itself in all its glory.

Traditionally in France on this day it is customary to open a bottle of good champagne and drink it with good friends enjoying the play of bubbles in the glass and slowly savoring the drink.

And in order to fully experience the whole bouquet and appreciate the efforts of winemakers, you need to drink champagne correctly. Here are some French secrets:

• wine must be stored and cooled in a horizontal position;
• open champagne without a shot so that the bubbles do not evaporate;
• at the moment of uncorking, it is necessary to rotate not the cork, but the bottle;
• pour the wine carefully, directing a thin stream to the edge of the glass;
• it is customary to fill the glass by three quarters;
• champagne is eaten with good cheese, white meat or salads.

Qualitative foamy drink retains bubbles for several hours after its opening, and the larger they are, the more elite the wine is considered.

Happy Champagne Day everyone!

"Pineapples in champagne! Pineapples in champagne! Pineapples in champagne! Surprisingly tasty, sparkling and spicy," wrote the poet Igor Severyanin. August 4 is Champagne's birthday. It was on this day in 1668 that a French Benedictine monk introduced a sparkling drink with bubbles to the world. Champagne has always been considered a symbol of sophistication and luxury; it accompanied solemn events, holidays, deals and adorned all social events.

The name "champagne" comes from the name of the French province of Champagne, where grapes have been grown since the 3rd century. But the wines produced there are in the process secondary fermentation barrels sometimes exploded, they were called "devilish". And in the 17th century, a Benedictine monk from a French abbey, Pierre Perignon, began to combine the juice of different grape varieties and pour wines into bottles with plugs made from cork oak bark. This made it possible to keep carbon dioxide and avoid the explosion.

How to open champagne correctly? To begin with, it must be cooled to a temperature of 10-15 degrees, then remove the foil, wrap your fingers around the cork and slightly loosen the muzzle. Then firmly squeeze the cork in the wire and turn the bottle, holding it at the base.

In 1728, the sale of champagne began, and in 1729 the first house of champagne wines, Ruinart, appeared. Another innovation was the development of winemaker Victor Lambert in 1874 fermentation technology, thanks to which brut appeared to the world - dry champagne. And by the end of the century before last, champagne was already popular all over the world.

According to the Treaty of Madrid of 1891, only sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region can bear the patented name - "Champagne". At the same time, Champagne wines must be aged in the bottle for at least one and a half years. Grapes are harvested ahead of schedule while the sugar level is lower and the acidity level is higher.

Champagne with history

Wine Crystal Louis Roederer from the Louis Roederer brand was supplied to Alexander II in specially made crystal bottles. Now this wine has an unusual packaging - the bottles are decorated in a golden style, covered with ligature and monograms.

Piper-Heidsieck champagne is Marilyn Monroe's favorite drink. This company holds the record for making the largest bottle of champagne - 1 meter 82 centimeters high. It was timed to coincide with the receipt in 1965 of the Oscar by actor Rex Harrison for leading role in My Fair Lady. The height of the actor was taken as the basis for the size. As for the contents of the bottle, it was a vintage 1959 Piper-Heidsieck Brut champagne. And already in our time, the company has released an elite gift set- a shoe with a crystal heel is attached to a bottle of champagne.

Typically, champagne bottles come in two sizes - standard (750 ml) and elite (1.5 l). The wire holding the cork of champagne is 52 cm long and is called a muselet. It was originally made from rope. Foil on the neck of a bottle of champagne first appeared in the century before last, and its purpose was to scare away rats in the cellars. Champagne cork take-off speed reaches 14 m/s, and the flight height is 12 meters. A standard bottle of champagne contains about 250 million bubbles.

At one time, Pol Roger produced for Sir Winston Churchill a personal bottle of champagne with a volume of 0.06 liters - this size is called an imperial pint. Champagne was served to the politician at 11 am.

The 1928 Krug champagne is famous for being served at the royal banquet at Buckingham Palace after the end of World War II for King George VI and his guests. In 2009, the bottle was sold at an auction in Hong Kong for $21,200.

Champagne Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Charles & Diana 1961 accompanied the wedding ceremony of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer in 1981. The release of this champagne was "dedicated" to the year of the birth of the princess. The price per bottle reached 4309 dollars.

Champagne and tradition

In Russia, champagne is the main new year drink. Opening bottles of champagne under the chiming clock, make cherished wishes. Or they write a wish on a piece of paper, burn it and drink champagne with ashes.

Piper-Heidsieck champagne is considered Hollywood wine, as it has accompanied the Oscar ceremony for many years.

The lovers take baths in champagne with rose petals.

Two bottles of champagne tied together are placed on the table in front of the newlyweds.

There is a custom to drink champagne from a lady's shoe. They say that the hussars practiced this - at purely male evening parties. However, they inserted a glass into the shoe. But if you drink directly from the shoe, as they do at weddings, you can ruin the shoes.

In 1890, a bottle of champagne was smashed against the armored iron side of the warship Maine. This tradition has taken root all over the world.

During motor racing, it is customary to pour champagne on the winners. The legislator of this tradition was the racer Dan Gurney, who won the 1967 marathon "24 Hours of Le Mans" and received a bottle of champagne as a gift. For joy, he poured the drink on everyone around him. Champagne based on Chardonnay best harvests from the Mumm company is associated with Formula 1 racing and it is with it that the winners water each other.

rare finds

In 1916, Nicholas II was sent a French gift on a ship - a batch of champagne. The ship was sunk by a German submarine. It wasn't until 1988 that Swedish divers discovered a sunken ship carrying 2,000 bottles of 1907 Piper Heidsieck Diamant Bleu cuvée champagne. The condition of the drink turned out to be excellent, as a result of which all the bottles were sold at world auctions - for ... 275 thousand dollars each.

In 2008, a locksmith was invited to the Scottish mansion Toroshi - the owners did not open an antique buffet. So it was discovered champagne "Veuve Clicquot" 1893 release - safe and sound. This unique find was placed in the center of Veuve Clicquot wines.

In 2009, tasters discovered 1825 Perrier-Jouet champagne in the basement of Perrier-Jouёt, located 70 meters underground. It has lost its gas, but it has not lost its truffle-caramel flavor.

Expensive pleasure

The cost of a 1943 bottle of Moёt & Chandon Bi Centenary Cuvée Dry Imperial champagne from Moёt & Chandon, the supplier of wine to Elizabeth II herself, is $ 1,392. This wine was released for the bicentenary of the company. And the cost of a bottle of Moёt & Chandon Dom Perignon champagne, released by the company in 1998, is already 1955 dollars. The fact is that Karl Lagerfeld himself worked on its design.

Vintage Champagne Roederer Cristal 1990 from the house of Louis was released in honor of the start of a new century. It was valued at $143,700. The volume of the bottle was 6 liters! The drink was created from the best varieties grapes and contained notes of citrus, vanilla, nutmeg and pears. It was produced, however, in a very limited edition.

And the most expensive champagne in the world is Goût de Diamants. The cost of a bottle is 2,170,000 dollars! This champagne was released in 2013 in black bottles designed by renowned British designer Alexander Amosu. The bottles were branded with a hand-crafted 18-carat white gold logo. In the center of the emblem was a 19-carat diamond. The drink itself was created from grapes that grow only in one place - in the Grand Cru vineyards, located in a small family winery near the village of Auger.

Ekaterina Shcheglova

Not a single holiday is complete without this drink. Light cotton, a slightly noticeable smoke - and wine pours into glasses, hissing with bursting bubbles and spreading the smell of festive fun. August 4 is the birthday of champagne, which has passed an amazing path from antiquity to the present.

The legend of the appearance of champagne

Pierre Perignon in the abbey of Hautevillers, which is located in Champagne, was in charge of the cellar and food. And when he had inspiration and free time, he experimented with wines.

They say that the monk was almost blind, but he had a wonderful instinct and perseverance. aggravated taste buds allowed him to create a small miracle, which to this day pleases the heart and gladdens the blood of mankind.

One day Pérignon showed the monk brothers amazing drink: light, light, sparkling, with endless bubbles. This happened in 1668, on August 4. It is from this day that the life of champagne is counted, although the manufacturing technology was published by Abbé Fedino only in 1718.

Perignon, in addition to obtaining a new type of wine, also improved the cork. Instead of the usual oiled stick, he suggested using cork stopper. AND the best material there is no bottle stopper today.

The history of the development of champagne production

The beautiful legend of the appearance of champagne does not at all mean that the ancients did not know about sparkling wines. Perhaps they were not so refined and differed in taste, but they are mentioned in the Bible, they were drunk in Ancient Rome, poets of the East Omar Khayyam and Shota Rustaveli sang.

The champagne trade began in 1728. And in 1729 - the year of the founding of the Ruinart company, which was the first to start producing such a drink.

The best winemakers at all times were considered men. However, the weak half of humanity brought fame and prosperity to champagne.

The best producers were ... widows. And the name of one of the "discoverers" became legendary and is forever associated with best titles guilt.

At the beginning of the 19th century (and this was 1805), women were not engaged in business. Their destiny is to run a household, to shine in society, to be weak and feminine. How could these fragile creatures compete with male acumen and practicality? .. Madame Clicquot, a 27-year-old widow, proved not only to the French, but to the whole world that women were created not only for home and family.

Impoverished France, bled dry by wars, fell into lethargy and fell into the abyss. And into this hard times a small aristocrat entered the business scene. She tenaciously took over the wine business of her late husband, rushed through the vineyards like a plebeian, expanded kilometers of underground cellars and ... produced champagne - a festive drink and not at all military.

Her sharp mind relied on the export of wine to European countries- and did not lose. The Prussian king Wilhelm adored her champagne, for which he received the nickname "King Clicquot". The bet on Russia, which was at war with France, was a daring and adventurous step, but the enterprising Madame saw the root.

Even when Russian soldiers robbed her wine cellars, the resilient widow did not despair. “They will pay for everything later,” she said confidently. A little later, her words became prophetic: as soon as the economic blockade between the countries disappeared, the businesswoman sent a ship with champagne to Russia and sold wine at an unprecedentedly high price - 12 rubles (a cow cost less).

Sweet foamy drink sold like hot cakes. Overnight, a small and unknown company became the most famous trading house, and the wine of Madame Clicquot was preferred to any other.

“There is only one quality – the best!” - such a motto was chosen for her offspring by the business widow Clicquot and left it as a legacy to her business, which is still considered a global and elite brand.

The second widow engaged in winemaking, in 1858, was Madame Pomery, whose champagne conquered foggy Albion.

A little later, already in the 20th century, the widows Roederer and Bolinge added their word to the glory of the heady drink.

Russian winemakers also did not fall on their faces: they proved that Russia can not only drink champagne, but also make it of excellent quality. Russian sparkling wines have taken prizes in Paris more than once.

Interesting Champagne Facts

About secrets celebratory drink you can tell endlessly: funny stories, reliable cases and frank myths mixed up in a colorful kaleidoscope. But this is exactly the way that real wine goes - from ripe bunches of grapes to golden nectar, which gives pleasure, fun and passion ...

Types and varieties of champagne

To make a real sparkling drink, three grape varieties are used:

Chardonnay - for making white wine

Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier - for the production of red wine.

Pink champagne is obtained from a mixture of white and red varieties.

The most expensive wines are made from grapes of only one variety harvested in one year. They are kept for a long time and strictly adhere to all the canons of the winemaking process. Such wines are called vintage.

Non-vintage varieties are produced from grapes of different varieties and different years collection. A kind of mixture that allows you to make drinks quickly and relatively inexpensively.

Types of wine by sweetness:

Brut - dry wine with a low percentage of sugar content (from 0.3 to 1.5%)

Semi-dry - from 1.7 to 2% sugar

Semi-sweet - 2 to 3.5% sugar

Sweet - from 5% sugar

Connoisseurs divide this classification into a clearer one, but in everyday life it’s good to navigate when choosing the taste of a drink, knowing only the main criteria.

The price of sparkling bubbles

The value of this drink is in its sparkling and playful bubbles. Very long production sparkling wine the business was considered dangerous: barrels and bottles often exploded due to the formation of gas, so winemakers descended into the cellars exclusively in masks. And this is not surprising: one bottle of champagne contains up to 50 million bubbles.

plays fizzy drink long: in good wine bubbles rise up from the bottom of the glass until ten o'clock!

The production of sparkling wine had its own characteristics: a natural sediment formed at the bottom of the bottle, which, when opened, rose up with the pressure of the gas and made the wine cloudy. How to make champagne transparent, the same enterprising Madame Clicquot came up with, having discovered the principle of remuage: they began to put the bottle at a special angle, the sediment accumulated near the neck, after which the wine was frozen and the “sediment plug” was easily removed: a piece of ice came out of the neck under the pressure of gas. The widow kept the secret of transparency for a long time, until it became the property of other winemakers.

Precious container

Champagne is bottled. Usually this is a capacity of 0.75 liters or 1.5 liters. There are other volumes from 3 to 30 liters, as well as exclusive copies. So, for example, for the gourmet Churchill, the drink was made in a container of 0.06 liters - the so-called imperial pint.

They claim that the most big bottle pink champagne Midas in 30 liters was released wine house Armand Perignac. Such a bottle costs only 275 thousand dollars, but a similar volume was produced earlier under the name Melchidesek.

The most expensive wine Shipwrecked Heidsieck was born in 1907. A cargo with a laughing drink was delivered to Russia, but the ship sank. And only 90 years later divers got it from the bottom of the sea. 200 bottles of a standard size found their buyers and connoisseurs in Moscow for quite a modest price - 275 thousand dollars a bottle.

The tallest bottle appeared in 1965 and was equal to 1 meter 82 centimeters - the height of actor Rex Harrison, who received an Oscar for Best Actor in the film My Fair Lady.

The most expensive bottle of champagne "Taste of Diamonds" was sold for 1.2 million dollars. But the value is not in the content, but in the design of the container: Alexander Amos decorated it with white gold, Swarovski crystals and a 19-carat diamond.

And the largest 1.5-meter glass was filled in Ukraine, in 2011. The record was included in the Guinness Book of Records: a specially made glass contained the contents of 75 bottles or 56 liters and almost doubled the previous record.

Foil and cork

The best closure is a cork made from cork oak bark. A tree lives up to 200 years, they begin to remove the bark from it only at the age of 15-20 and do it once every ten years. In general, oak is trimmed 18 times and serves as a material for tightly closing bottle necks.

Before the bottle is sealed, the cork is steamed and compressed from one end to 17 millimeters by a special machine that presses on the elastic material with a force of 2 tons. Agree: you can’t do this with your hands.

In ancient times, the cork was held with a hemp, which was located crosswise, later they began to use steel wire - a muzzle.

A cork flies out of a bottle at a speed of 14 m/s and is capable of flying 12 meters on especially solemn occasions. Up, sideways - that's how it goes.

The traditional foil on the neck is not just an attribute, beauty and something mysteriously rustling. The purpose of this material had a very prosaic origin. The foil scared away from the wine ... rats that felt at ease in wine cellars and were not averse to getting drunk on sweet wine 🙂

Taboo on the title

The rigid framework of competition led to the fact that in France after the First World War a law was passed that said: sparkling wine can be called champagne if it is made only in Champagne and with a certain manufacturing technology.

So the rest of the production of sparkling wines has no right to be called by this sonorous name! This law is still in effect today.

But no matter how the exclusive right of France to this bubbling drink is asserted, it continues to live, be produced in many countries and enjoy unchanging success.

They composed odes to champagne, wrote poems (even Pushkin sang the sparkling drink). Songs and musical works were dedicated to him and to this day they are dedicated. Yes, and this is natural: there is probably nothing better for a holiday and mood - light and exciting blood.

Happy Holidays to all lovers of golden wine! Let the hops not hit the head and legs, but amuse the soul and heart! After all, the main thing in alcohol is mood :).

"Spray Champagne" - in the studio!

New Year or Birthday, wedding or romantic date, business banquet or social event - any holiday, solemn or significant event does not pass without sparkling, bubbling and sparkling champagne. A drink of celebration and passion, fun and celebration has long become a traditional, mandatory attribute on the table. It turns out that among others alcoholic beverages champagne is practically the youngest. And in 2018 his anniversary will be celebrated - 350 years. But lovers of sparkling alcohol celebrate the birthday of champagne annually on August 4th.

As with any invention that has received worldwide fame, many countries claim to be the ancestor of champagne. Moreover, irrefutable arguments are given confirming the fact of the origin of sparkling wine.

For example, in Switzerland, the locals of the village of Champagne are sure that their ancestors began to make a heady drink in the 10th century, long before the glorious invention of Pérignon.

In Italy, it is firmly convinced that even the Roman emperors drank sparkling wines of their own production.

In Cyprus, there is a legend that the grapes for the best champagne were grown on their island.

But it is hard to argue with the French, who are firmly convinced that this privilege belongs to the monk Pierre Perignen. In his honor, even a monument was erected in the province of Champagne, in the town of Epernay.

The most interesting thing is that the invention itself was initially a complete surprise even for the monk-winemaker himself.

The man was responsible for the safety and stocks of wines in the cellars of the Benedictine monastery. Having found several bottles of fermented wine, the monk decided to simply get rid of it. But having uncorked one of them, he felt pleasant aroma. In addition, small running bubbles sparkled beautifully and created the illusion of a holiday.

It was this discovery that made the monk start experimenting. He took different varieties grapes, used bottles with different glass thicknesses, changed corks. And as a result, he achieved what he wanted - he got an easy and aromatic wine that sparkled and played in the glass. According to legend, Pierre Perignon presented the first real champagne to the abbot of the monastery in 1668.

The event is dated August 4, which was the reason for the birth of Champagne.

By the way, the monk continued his experiments not only with the wine itself, but also with the way it was served and corked. It was he who came up with the idea of ​​using cork to seal bottles. In addition, the monk came up with The best way serving sparkling wine - in tall thin glasses, which allows you to fully reveal the taste and aroma of the drink.

French champagne: the uniqueness of technology

Only 40 years later, in 1728, the official trade in sparkling wines began in France, and already in 1729, a house of champagne wines called Ruinart was established.

Champagne boomed in popularity at the end of the 19th century. It was at this time that winemakers pleased lovers of sparkling wines with a novelty. Brut was to the taste of connoisseurs of dry grape drinks. Champagne was considered an exclusively elite treat and was served at receptions in rich houses.

But the very name "Champagne" has the right to wear wine that is made in France in the Champagne region using a special technology. It was patented in 1891. Wine goes through several technological cycles before becoming a coveted sparkling drink.

For production, up to two varieties of unripe grapes are used with reduced content Sahara.

After pressing, the liquid is poured into barrels, where the primary fermentation takes place. Later it is bottled with the addition of sugar and yeast. During the secondary fermentation, the bottles are turned several times in the same direction so that the sediment formed is collected at the neck.

And the most jewelry stage is the collection of sediment. Of course, now this process is automated. But in some industries, the technology of manual sediment removal has been preserved. Corked sparkling champagne ages in the cellars for at least another 18 months.

Russian champagne: the golden traditions of domestic sparkling

The development of the recipe for sparkling wines in Russia took place almost simultaneously with the experiments of French colleagues. The pioneers in this area were the Cossacks living in the village of Tsimlyanskoe. They own the technology of making sparkling wine of the same name.

The spread of the popularity of champagne occurred during the war with Napoleon.

But Russian sparkling wines gained worldwide fame in 1900, when at a festival in France, samples from the winery of Count Golitsyn took first place, outperforming French champagne in terms of their qualities.

The recipe for Golitsyn's sparkling wine was preserved and embodied in the Soviet sparkling drink, beloved by many.

Therefore, you can easily touch the traditions of the pioneers in the field of sparkling wine production by sipping a drink made using ancient technologies.

Champagne Day: interesting modern traditions

Over the years, champagne has acquired not only fabulous popularity, but also a magical, symbolic meaning. They decorate festive table, it is presented as a gift and even used to attract good luck. Of particular interest are the traditions associated with champagne, which have actually become rituals.

Ship traditions: "baptism" with champagne

Any modern marine vessel is "baptized" with champagne before launching.

This tradition has a long and interesting story, which dates back to the time of the ancient peoples who tried to appease their gods by bringing them certain sacrifices.

Moreover, against the background of the harmless offerings of the Greeks in the form of wreaths of olive, fruit and wine, and even more significant gifts of the Turks, who sacrificed slaughtered bulls or sheep, sacrifices northern peoples they just look terrible. They sprinkled the keel of their ships with blood. And not a dead animal, but a person. The victim could be an unfortunate pirate, a captured enemy, or a slave.

With the advent of Christianity, a tradition appeared to baptize the ship. The ritual took place in accordance with all the canons of the church. The priest sprinkled the ship with holy water and recited prayers, laying his hands on the mast.

Over time, the traditions of the ancients and the religious subtext of the ritual were closely intertwined and grew into a magnificent holiday. Rich merchants were the first to throw precious cups into the water before swimming. In this way, they tried to attract good luck, since each exit to the sea was akin to a feat.

However, with the development of navigation, traditions have also changed. The number of ships launched into the water has increased significantly. Therefore, even aristocrats began to consider throwing jewelry into the water before each voyage as an unacceptable waste. It was at this time that the tradition of breaking a bottle of wine on the side of the ship appeared.

Who owns the idea to use champagne for these purposes is unknown. But well known historical fact: the honor of being the first ship to be "baptized" with champagne went to the military vessel Maine. For the first time, a bottle of sparkling wine was spectacularly smashed against the side of a military armored vessel in 1890.

The idea appealed not only to the military, but also to the owners of merchant and transport ships. And the ritual quickly spread among the sailors.

In order for the ship and the crew to be lucky on the journey, a bottle of champagne must invariably break into small pieces from hitting the side. They say that when the Titanic sailed, the champagne simply did not break.

Modern sailors do not want to take risks and go to a number of tricks so that the ritual is performed exactly. They choose bottles with defects or even purposefully cut the neck, hiding such damage under a bow. It is difficult to say how lucky luck favors such cunning people. But no modern ship sets sail without being "baptized" with champagne.

Splashes of champagne and Formula 1

An equally interesting ritual with champagne takes place during the awarding of the winners of the famous Formula 1 race. Many remember the breathtaking photos of Dan Gurney in the rainbow fountain of champagne.

The winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 60s created such a trick by shaking a bottle of sparkling wine warmed up in the sun. The tradition has taken root, and since then all the winners of the race have been doused with champagne.

By the way, not everyone has the honor of being a supplier. Since 2000, this exclusive right has belonged to Mumm – well-known manufacturer champagne wines. But the first supplier was the company producing no less elite champagne Moet. Its owner Paul Moet and his cousin Frédéric de Brien presented champagne as a gift to 1950 race winner Juan Manuel Fangio.

Traditionally, the supplier provides the organizers with 8 bottles of sparkling wine. 4 are placed on the podium in anticipation of the winners. And 4 more are considered spare.

Often, warmed up in the sun, the wine colorfully knocks out the cork and rises up like a fountain. But only after spectacular performance ritual by Dan Gurney, a tradition arose to douse the prize-winning riders.

Only riders from Muslim countries ignore such a ritual, but in order not to look like white crows among colleagues, they douse themselves with lemonade.

We will wash cars with champagne according to all traditions

Car owners are very superstitious people. They are ready to comply with all unthinkable rules and perform all rituals, if only their “iron horse” retains its original appearance, and there are no inadequate law enforcement officers on the road, and even more so drunk or too frisky drivers and nimble pedestrians. After all, there are so many dangers on the roads, and the quality of the roads themselves is poor.

Everyone knows the favorite saying of all drivers: "Not a nail, not a rod." But also more interesting than tradition associated with the purchase of a car. It just needs to be “washed” with alcohol. And we are talking not about libations in a friendly company, but about the ritual of dousing a car.

This custom is not new at all, but was invented by Soviet motorists. In those days, the car was really a longed-for dream. And few people paid attention to the fact that the newly acquired masterpiece of the domestic automobile industry was all oiled, as it should be for engineering products.

To clean the fuel system, the brake pads from the oil film, the newly minted car owners used ordinary vodka. Wheels were poured over the "Belenkaya", it was splashed into the gas tank.

With the advent of high-quality transport on the market, this need has disappeared. But a cheerful ritual has been preserved, which is more like part of the holiday. Now it is customary to wash cars with champagne. And not everyone, namely Brut. You need to try to shoot the cork so that it necessarily picturesquely flew over the car.

After that, the body and wheels are colorfully poured with a drink. Experienced car owners assure that the ritual, performed in accordance with all the rules, will invariably help to avoid trouble on the roads, and the “iron horse” will get out of possible accidents with minimal losses and take out its owner.

Wedding champagne: traditions and rituals

Almost every moment of the wedding ceremony is permeated with a variety of rituals and rituals. All of them have a deep meaning and ancient roots. Among them there are especially beautiful ones, for example, the ritual with breaking glasses, and they are completely stupid. Some try to comply with all the customs in minute details and some just ignore them.

But there is not a single couple who would forget about wedding champagne. It actually becomes the central attribute of the wedding table.

It is drunk immediately after painting and presented as a gift, treated to all guests and put on the table as a decoration.

The main tradition associated with wedding champagne regulates the timing of its drinking. Be sure to leave two bottles. One of them is the "groom", the second is the "bride". Guests can leave their own on the wedding bottles. beautiful wishes and wise advice.

One of these bottles, which is the "groom", is drunk on the first wedding anniversary, when it will be celebrated. During this symbolic drinking, the young are wished patience and fidelity.

The second bottle of the “bride” is uncorked at the birth of the first child and the wine is drunk with the wishes of health to mother and baby. For a young mother, another bottle of sparkling drink is purchased, which can be sipped after feeding is over.

For Russians, the favorite winter holiday is strongly associated with traditional attributes. What is the New Year without a fluffy Christmas tree, brightly decorated with toys and tinsel, tangerine, chimes and, of course, champagne.

Initially, the idea to celebrate the New Year magnificently, with feasts and festivities, belongs to Peter I. Champagne appeared on the tables much later. During the time of Alexander II, a lover of magnificent feasts, a sparkling drink appeared at the holidays of aristocrats. It was he who invented the ritual of clinking glasses. For a long time this drink remained the privilege of the nobility.

Sparkling wine became the "hero" of the New Year's table precisely in the days of the USSR. The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree belongs to the same time. edible fruit and put tangerines on the tables.

The tangerine theme is closely related to the winter availability of these citrus fruits. And in the 60s, champagne became a component of the “holiday rations”, which were issued to all workers by decision of the government precisely for the New Year.

Each family got the opportunity to put on New Year's table a bottle of "Soviet Champagne".

It was this brand of sparkling wine that became the most beloved among the Soviet people and retained its taste qualities even after the collapse of the country.

Let's not forget about the traditions associated with champagne. This is, first of all, making a wish. With the first strikes of the chimes, you need to focus on your dream and drink champagne. But some have gone even further.

They try to have time to write down a secret desire on a sheet, a napkin, quickly burn a note, and pour the ashes into a glass of sparkling wine. All these manipulations need to be done under the chiming clock and quickly drink an ash-wine cocktail.

The main condition is not to tell anyone about what was hidden, even if the hops from drinking and the feeling of a holiday cloud your mind and turn your head.

The most, rarest, oldest, most expensive champagne in the world: interesting facts about sparkling wine

How on Champagne Day not to remember the real exceptions to the rules.

• In 1988, Swedish divers found a ship that had sunk back in 1916. It preserved in excellent condition 2000 copies of Piper Heidsieck Diamant Bleu cuvée sparkling wine, which was released in 1907 and was sent by the French as a gift to Nicholas II. Each bottle was auctioned off for $275,000.
• Another find is now stored in the Veuve Clicquot wine center. This is a bottle of "Veuve Clicquot", released in 1893. It was discovered by an ordinary locksmith, who in 2008 was invited to open a buffet in the Torosi mansion in Scotland.
• The oldest find is Perrier-Jouёt wine, released in 1825. Found in an abandoned manufacturer basement in 2009. Moreover, the wine has completely retained its magnificent caramel flavor and taste, although all the gas from the drink came out.

If we talk about expensive specimens, then the most expensive champagne called Goût de Diamants, produced in 2013, deserves attention. To a greater extent, its value was reflected not so much in the uniqueness of the wine as in the decoration of the bottle. The design was carried out by Briton Alexander Amosu, known for his artsy finds. The brand name of the winery is handcrafted from white gold. Embossed with a 19 carat diamond.

The largest glass container holds 30 liters of champagne. The bottle was named Midas. The giant is produced by the Armand de Brignac house.

But the highest champagne was released purposefully to congratulate Rex Harrison during his Oscar award. The height of the container was 1.82 meters.

And let there not be the most expensive or the oldest champagne on your table today. On the day of your favorite drink, it is enough to open a bottle of your favorite champagne and raise a glass in honor of those amateur winemakers who were able to invent this magnificent intoxicating drink.