“A Year in Champagne” – Watch the Magic

“It’s a drink that can be enjoyed at 7am in a balloon or in the middle of the night.” This statement could only apply to our favorite sparkling wine: Champagne. This line and many others were shared in the film “A Year in Champagne” which can be viewed (as of Friday, March 6) on iTunes and in select theatres. I was able to see a preview a few days ago at the Trump Hotel in Chicago while savoring gourmet popcorn and sipping pours of Gonet-Medeville Extra Brut Rose Premier Cru Champagne.  Oh yes, “Champagne is…magic.”

Martine Saunier, world renown wine importer, leads viewers of the film through the Champagne region to visit six Champagne houses in the course of a year.  Both small and independent houses such as Champagne Saint-Chamant where traditional techniques continue to be used and those that are larger including Bollinger and Gosset that have been integral in making the region of Champagne what it is today are profiled. Saunier interviews winemakers and families who own these iconic houses while ambling through the vineyards, having wine filled lunches or dinners with the families or workers, and more. This peek into the lifestyle and emotions of those who produce Champagne is enlightening.  Family values coincide with their sense of place, replete with history and ravaged by war.

It was fascinating to learn through the words of those who live and work in Champagne that every grower must abide by a voluminous array of rules meant to give each house, no matter how large or small, an equal advantage in production. From how to trellis the vines to when to pick the grapes during harvest, Champagne is the most regulated region in all of France. And then there is the weather. Frost, hail, cold, rain, rot, pests are prevalent; growing grapes in Champagne is only for the hardy…and hopeful.

I never tire of seeing the process of making this beautiful wine. “A Year in Champagne” shows the path from bud break to bottle with striking photography and music, a reveal of the raw emotions of those in the field and in production, and the elation of the winemaker and family members who share the finished product with others.

The second film in a trilogy (the first is the award winning documentary “A Year in Burgundy”), “A Year in Champagne” contributes to the mystique and essence of its signature sparkling wine. Why don’t you indulge yourself and open a bottle while you watch the magic?  You’ll be able to taste it, too.

 

Cheers~ Cindy