Champagne Veuve godart & fils

Le champagne et sa région | Historique | Les avancées

Greater skill

Despite a difficult context, the 19th century was marked by a great desire to master the quality of champagne. Firstly, the vine growers harvested the grapes at maturity, and "peeling or sorting" was practised after picking to remove the damaged grapes, or the ones that were not completely ripe.

Real progress was also made in champagne production:
Little by little, the relationship between the quantity of sugar contained in the wine and the production of carbon dioxide was modernized, and the solution was found at the end of the century.
Yeasts were also introduced, and were used during the second fermentation.

The deposit was no longer eliminated by decanting from bottle to bottle, but by riddling and by blow-out discharge.

The bottle was also perfected, resisting better to pressure, and the percentage of breakages was reduced. In addition, cork wire was now put around the cork, which became less vulnerable to the rodents, which until then had nibbled the strings used.

Finally, mechanizaton developed, thus aiding the delicate handling of the bottles whilst at the same time respecting the Champagne region traditions:

• 1825: the bottles were filled using hand pumps with multiple spouts.
• 1860: the corking machine replaced the flattening hammer, which had been used to forcibly insert the corks.

Everything seemed ready for the beginning of the commercial success of champagne...

Commercial success

At the beginning of the 18th century, success was already there, but remained limited because the price of champagne was high, and some people did not at all appreciate its taste qualities. However, it was highly valued by the better-off classes, and was often associated with refined pleasure. In fact, the association between women and champagne dates from this period.
This light wine, synonymous with celebrations, with a sparkle that inspires gaiety, became very successful at the court, and gradually asserted itself among poets and philosophers.

The 19th century was to see the increase of this development. France was to go through wars and political instability, but at the end of this century, France was a great power, and champagne was a drink worthy of her position. Champagne became inevitable at political banquets and wedding feasts.

Abroad, smuggling demonstrated the growing success of this precious elixir. For British society, champagne became indispensable in fashionable circles, and Europe was to accept this fact. In 1870, four fifths of production was consumed outside France.

The increase in production together with the progression of the railway network and the spirit of quality, joy and celebration that characterized champagne were to allow it to be sure of a prestigious reputation that would cross the borders.