It’s National Champagne Day!

by Hunter S.  (Hunter1)

“In a perfect world, everyone would have a glass of Champagne every evening.”

–Willie Gluckstern from the book The Wine Avenger–

August 4^th is National Champagne Day???  Is this the greatest day or what??  Some insist Dec 31 is NCD (well duh, New Year’s Eve), while in 2010 there was a movement to make October 28^th the day of bubbly.   But after intense research (okay, 5 minutes cruising the Internet), I decided to go with the majority and so now August 4^th it is.

What can I say about Champagne, except it’s the greatest thing EVER!  It’s truly one of the reasons I get out of bed each day.  There’s a chance I might get to have a glass of this fabulous drink and I don’t want to miss it.  Some people need a good reason to drink champagne as it’s thought to be more of a celebration drink, but National Champagne Day is a holiday in itself which gives everyone an excuse to imbibe in the bubbly!

Just think of it, we could have a glass of Champagne at every meal.  Breakfast, second breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, high tea, dinner and evening snacks.  We could even do a Champagne picnic and shoot corks at each other!

Actual Champagne is produced exclusively in the Champagne region of France, but let’s not get picky.  If it’s a sparkling wine you have, then go for it.  Champagne is ready to be drunk when purchased.  It is at its peak and will not improve with further aging, so don’t save it for a special occasion.

Champagne was created by accident and was called “the devil’s wine” as bottles exploded or the corks jolted away, creating quite a stir and quite a scare and probably quite a mess.  Personally, I like to think of it as “Life Sustaining Liquid” or “It keeps me from becoming a serial killer” juice, depending upon what kind of day I had.  The dryer the better for me (extra Brut), but there are heathens out there who actually prefer sweet Champagne.  To each his own.

However, all should agree that champagne should be served cold in tall, narrow Champagne flutes.  And even though spraying Champagne might be considered a fun sport in some societies, I prefer not a waste a single drop of this precious liquid.

Let’s not forget the health benefits of Champagne.  Studies have shown that moderate consumptions of Champagne may help the brain cope with the trauma of stroke, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. The research noted that the high amount of the antioxidant polyphenols in sparkling wine can help prevent deterioration of brain cells due to oxidative stress.   If this is true, my brain cells are in tip-top shape!

No one drinks Champagne because they are thirsty; there is usually always a special occasion to uncork that bottle. We drink Champagne for its special aura, it’s taste, the bubbles that tickle our noses and burst in our mouth, and, of course, to celebrate. But, please, remember life is too short to wait for a special occasion to indulge yourself with this mythical, sparkling wine.

A few examples of books listed on PBS

The story of the visionary young widow who built a champagne empire, showed the world how to live with style, and emerged a legend Veuve Clicquot champagne epitomizes glamour, style, and luxury.

An instant guide to the world of champagne and how to enjoy it, with cocktailswith dinner, with recipes, and with quotes. Lots of sparkling information th at will help you save and serve.

April Liesgang and Caleb Shannon have known each other for just three short months, so their Valentine’s Day wedding at a chapel near the shores of Lake Michigan has both families in an uproar.

Faith Usher had a decidedly morbid personality. She talked about taking her life and kept cyanide in her purse. So when she collapses and dies from a lethal champagne cocktail in the middle of a high society dinner party, everyone calls it suicide, including the police. But Archie was watching it all and suspects it was murder.

BUBBLES GALORE! — Underneath her bubbly, carefree facade there was more – much more – to the champagne girl.

The reader is thus drawn into these tales examining the way technology complicates human relationships.

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Tags: Book Suggestions, Members

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 4th, 2011 at 7:39 am and is filed under Holidays and Special Dates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.