In the dazzling celebration, at the romantic wedding, at the festive gathering, with a crisp “pop”, the champagne bottle cap pops out, the golden wine spills like a cheerful elf, and the bubbles jump in the glass, adding endless charm to the joyful moment. Champagne, a fine wine that symbolizes celebration, luxury and romance, has now become an indispensable part of celebrations around the world.
However, have you ever thought that in the long history, Champagne once had a terrifying name – “Devil’s Wine”. What is going on here? Let us embark on this magical journey through time and space to uncover the mystery of champagne from “devil’s wine” to a symbol of celebration.
The Cellar of Terror: Champagne’s “Devil’s Age”
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Champagne cellars were one of the most dangerous “battlefields” in Europe. At the time, Champagne producers were faced with a staggering dilemma – a staggering loss rate of between 20% and 90%. Whole batches of wine bottles would explode without warning, like time bombs. Imagine that in a dim wine cellar, the wine bottles that were originally quietly displayed suddenly exploded one after another, with fragments flying and bubbles overflowing. What a terrifying scene that would be.
A 19th-century wine merchant wrote sadly in a letter: “I know a wine cellar where three workers lost an eye due to a champagne explosion.” This description was not false. In the Champagne region at that time, there was a saying that “you are a fool if you enter the wine cellar without an iron mask.” Every time the workers entered the wine cellar, it was as if they were racing with death. They moved very carefully, fearing that the slightest vibration would cause a disaster. The design of wine cellars also began to take safety factors into consideration, and some even built special explosion-proof compartments to reduce casualties and losses caused by explosions.
The root cause of this horrific phenomenon lies in people’s ignorance of fermentation science at that time. The climate in the Champagne region is cold, and the low temperatures in winter interrupt the fermentation process and put the yeast into a “dormant” state. However, when the temperature rises in the spring, these “awakened” yeasts will start working again, consuming residual sugars and producing large amounts of carbon dioxide. Because the wine bottle was sealed, the gas had nowhere to escape, causing the pressure inside the bottle to continue to rise, eventually leading to a catastrophic explosion. What’s even more terrifying is that the vibration caused by the explosion of a bottle often triggers a chain reaction, turning the entire wine cellar into a “popcorn pot” with explosions and broken glass sounds everywhere, which is terrifying.
Wisdom Exploration: The Battle with the Devil
Faced with the terrifying threat of “devil’s wine”, champagne makers did not sit idly by, but began to fight the “devil”. They took a series of extreme protective measures. In addition to iron masks, they moved very carefully in the wine cellar, and the wine cellar design also paid more attention to safety. But these are just passive responses. The real breakthrough lies in a deeper understanding of the principles of fermentation.
In the mid-18th century, winemakers began to consciously control the secondary fermentation process. They found that the risk of explosion could be greatly reduced by accurately calculating the amount of sugar added, choosing a more pressure-resistant bottle type, and improving sealing technology. It’s like finding some winning magic weapons in the game with the “devil”.
In this exploration, the famous French monk Dom Pérignon became a key figure. He greatly reduced the danger of “devil’s wine” by using thicker glass bottles, inventing a method of fixing corks with wire (muselet), and trying to mix different grape varieties to improve the quality of the wine. His innovations were like a bright light in the darkness, pointing the way for the development of champagne.
A gorgeous turn: from “devil” to “angel”
With the advancement of production technology and the improvement of safety, champagne began to emerge from the shadow of terror and was even rediscovered by the European aristocracy. Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis XV of France, once said, “Champagne is a wine that makes women beautiful after drinking it.” This has injected a new image of elegance and charm into this drink. Champagne is no longer a terrifying “devil’s wine”, but has become a symbol for nobles to show off their status and taste.
The technological advances brought about by the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century completely solved the safety problem of champagne. The use of sturdier glass bottles, more precise sugar measurement technology and standardized production processes made explosions a rare event. At the same time, Champagne production soared from 300,000 bottles in 1800 to 20 million bottles in 1850, and its price fell, turning it from a niche luxury product into a celebratory drink that the middle class could enjoy. Champagne began to appear in more occasions and became synonymous with celebration and joy.
Today, champagne has long since shaken off the shadow of “the devil’s wine”, but its production process still retains a deep connection with history. Modern champagne bottles can withstand pressures of up to 6 atmospheres (equivalent to three times the pressure of an ordinary car tire), and the special concave design (Dimple) at the bottom of the bottle further enhances its pressure resistance. The mushroom-shaped cork and the wire cage (muselet) that holds it in place are inventions that are directly derived from Dom Pérignon’s time.
In today’s rapidly developing technology, champagne brewers continue to innovate while inheriting traditional craftsmanship. They use modern technology to more accurately control the fermentation process and improve the quality and taste of champagne. At the same time, more types and flavors of champagne have been launched to meet the needs of different consumers.
