Wine for Normal People

This is part two (Ep 609 is Part 1)of a two-part series on the history of Champagne, which tells the story of how Champagne became Champagne!

Photo: Champagne Vineyards Credit: WFNP
 
I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole when I discovered an entire encyclopedia of the history of Champagne on the Union des Maisons de Champagne site. It was the equivalent of 200 pages of information on Champagne from its origins up until the 1980s and was detailed and fascinating.
 
In this show I cover:
The innovations of the 1800s that made Champagne sparkle on purpose with consistency and the contributions of the Veuve (widow) Clicquot
The effects of phylloxera on Champagne
The Champagne Riots

World War I and German occupation part 1
The Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, and the effect of Prohibition
World War II and German occupation part 2
Post war, rebuilding, UNESCO status, and a commitment to the environment
 
Enjoy!
 
Source of all this fascinating info is...
 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 
This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Go to wineaccess.com

This is part of a two-part series on the history of Champagne, which tells the story of how Champagne became Champagne!
 
Photo: Champagne vineyards before mechanization. Source: Union des Maisons de Champagne
 
I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole when I discovered an entire encyclopedia of the history of Champagne on the Union des Maisons de Champagne site. It was the equivalent of 200 pages of information on Champagne from its origins up until the 1980s and was detailed and fascinating.
 
I tried to cull it down, but the information was just too vast and too interesting not to share! So this will be a two-parter. In this show I cover:
The origins of the Champagne vineyard with the Romans in the late 400s through the Middle Ages
The 13th Century when Champagne was used in the coronation of the French kings and began its life as a wine for royalty
The changes from feudalism to sharecropping through the 1500s, with all the ups and downs in the fortunes of the region
The grapes of the time and the first major innovation for Champagne – Vin gris – making white(ish) wine from red grapes
The contributions of Dom Perignon to Champagne

Photo: Statue of Dom Perignon Source: Victor Grigas, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
 
The role of the English in making a market for sparkling wine, and making the necessary accoutrements to hold a sparkling wine, as well
The effects of the French Revolution on Champagne that still exist today
The grapes and how they evolved over the centuries in Champagne
 
I take you up to the 1800s, when the real Champagne innovations start to happen. That will be in Part 2, along with details on how Champagne took over the world in the 19th and 20th centuries! 
 
Enjoy and Part 2 will be here before you know it!
 
Source of all this fascinating info is...
 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 
This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! Go to wineaccess.com/wfnp to sign up!

Barbera is one of Italy's most widely planted red grapes and an essential part of Piemontese wine culture. It is native to the Monferrato hills, where it has been grown for centuries and important to the overall wine landscape of the region. Adaptable, drought-resistant, and capable of producing everything from bright, food-friendly, everyday wines to serious oak-aged bottles, Barbera has spread beyond its homeland — to California, Argentina, Australia and more.

A grower's and winemaker's favorite grape for its easygoing nature in the vineyard and the winery, in the glass, Barbera takes many forms. From acidic and fruity to oaked with darker fruit and spice, it is food-friendly, pairing with everything from braised meat to pizza.
 
As in all the grape miniseries, I cover the DNA of the grape (a fairly recent discovery and kind of a funny story), its history, its behavior in the vineyard and winery, aromas and flavors of the grape and regions in Italy and abroad that make Barbera. 

Much has happened with Barbera since I last discussed it in 2018 -- take a listen and hear the latest! 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 
This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. To celebrate the impending end of our partnership, Go to wineaccess.com/wfnp and use coupon code WFNP26 to get a discount of 10% if you've never ordered before!

In this show rather than one wine legend, I talk about a team of people who saved the wine world from The Great French Wine Blight of the 1860s – 1890s, which turned out to be caused a destructive, insect called phylloxera that came to Europe on American grapevines. I discuss the contributions of eight people who worked together and across continents to collectively save the European grapevine, Vitis vinifera, from extinction. Today, we drink Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Syrah all because of the efforts of these people. This podcast is the story of what they did and how they did it.
 
I discuss the contributions of:
Jules-Émile Planchon
Gaston Bazille
CV Riley
Hermann Jaeger
George Hussman
TV Munson
Leo Laliman
Pierra Viala
All played key roles in identifying the cause of vine death in France, and finding the solutions that would work best. 
 
This is an important story of wine legends all wine lovers should know about! Enjoy! 
 
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 

Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! 
 
To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

I couldn't get a new podcast out with my travels from Alto Adige with the patrons,  but I thought it was timely I re-released this show since I was just there. It's not ALL old hat -- I did a light edit, improved the sound quality, and recorded a quick intro to this re-release of Ep 310: Elena Walch - The Quality Revolutionary of Alto Adige, Italy.

Elena Walch is a winery with an essential role in the quality revolution of Alto Adige, Italy. Alto Adige is in the northeast corner of Italy and although it is one of the smallest Italian regions (0.7% of wine production) it has a nearly unlimited variety of wines that offer delicate, unique flavor profiles.

Photo: A view of Alto Adige from my travels
 
Located south of the Alps, in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains (where the ice mummy was found!), vineyards here are planted steep slopes, river valleys, and some warmer plains. The vast differences in microclimates and soils in this sloping terrain make wines that have ample fruit but beautiful acidity that keep them crisp and bright.
In this show I talk to Karoline Walch, the head of the winery and daughter of founder Elena Walch. She teaches us about Alto Adige, and then discusses the amazing story of her mother and how she changed the orientation of the region from bulk to quality.

Photo: Julia, Elena, and Karoline Walch from www.elenawalch.com
 
Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Join the community today!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
_______________________________________________________________
 
This show is brought to you by my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access – THE place to discover your next favorite bottle. Wine Access has highly allocated wines and incredible values, plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. You can't go wrong with Wine Access! wineaccess.com/normal to check them out!