Champagne reviews
Dieter Wöhrle, FAZ, April 14, 1998: Champagne is the foam crown of pleasure "Once the wine of kings, now the wine of both worlds, which appeals to every age, every gender, every tongue and every stomach, its sparkling sweetness the delicate femininity and whose bubbling impetuosity attracts men with the omnipotence of love, to whom hearts fly everywhere and to whom everyone pays homage with the same enthusiasm as in his fatherland." This is how Rudolf Habs and Leopold Rosner describe a drink in their "Appetitexikon" published in 1894, that has not lost its reputation as the "king of wines” to this day: Champagne. From them one learns that "other wines surpass the son of Champagne in many respects", but "in terms of speed and the type of effect it comes up against none equal". The two gastrosophists manage to incorporate the tingling feeling in the mouth that a glass of champagne arouses in their description. Such a spoke Unfortunately, one looks in vain for Christian Göldenboog and his explanations about champagne for nasty tingling. The author tries to be sober. You can learn a lot from the book. We are informed in detail about the supervisory authorities involved in the production of champagne or about the history of the Champagne soil. The chalky soil around Reims and the associated ideal storage facilities in the kilometer-long Crayères are two of the most important reasons for the exclusive taste of the holiday drink. The author describes in detail "why the chalk is white" and how the vineyards of this region differ from others. In addition to the terroir, the grapes of the red Pinot noir and Pinot meunier as well as those of the white Chardonnay are responsible for the fascinating variety of tastes of the champagne. Or to put it chemically: "Champagne is the search for a balance between alcohol and acidity." You will be initiated into the secrets of the individual fermentation processes. Also interesting are the explanations about the "legend Dom Pérignon", who is generally credited with discovering the secrets of the foaming effect of champagne, or the explanations on the "high art of assemblage". In the end, the secret of the rival houses and the reputation of famous brands lie in this extraordinary ability of the producers to develop the successful mixing ratio from different wines of the three grape varieties. In addition to a lot of interesting facts, you will of course also learn some superfluous or even trivial things. The often tedious description of the life of the winegrowers is entertaining, but certainly does not expand our knowledge of their products or our experiences with the "water of pleasure". The sporting qualities of François Bonal are of far less interest than the content of several standard works that he has written about French sparkling wine. One would also have liked to have done without being informed about the color and car brand of various winegrowers; instead, one would have preferred to attempt to empathize with the sensual quality of enjoying champagne in words. The imagination is not stimulated by a single image; be it the different colors of the champagne in the glass or the individual phases and places of production, be it the artistically designed labels or, in general, documents from the cultural history of champagne consumption. Hardly any reader will go to the fridge to put it to the test and compare theory and practice over a sip of champagne.
