Champagne only comes from Champagne, France.
Cristal Champagne was created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II of Russia to satisfy his demanding tastes.
In the late 19th century, Champagne, the drink of the moment was known as Bubbly, or ‘Champ’ in the fashionable Paris watering-holes on the Grands Boulevards.
Nigeria ‘discovered’ Champagne in commercial quantities (by importation, of course) following the oil boom of the 1970s (starting in 1973/74 and lasting much of the decade).
Nigeria, Africa’s second biggest economy, grew 7.68% in the last quarter of 2011, one of the fastest in the world. The country is Africa’s top Champagne consumer, swigging 593,000 bottles in 2010, 50% more than rival South Africa.
Total Champagne consumption reached 752,879 bottles (75cl) in 2011, higher than consumption in Russia and Mexico; therefore, placing Nigeria among the top 20 Champagne markets in the world.
Nigerians spend N41bn on Champagne annually.
Nectar Rosé Champagne, although the rave of the last couple of years in Nigeria is still second to Brut in terms of the most imported cuvée.
The prestige cuvée is an exceptional Champagne that is considered to be the top of a producer's range. The Classe M is Champagne Montaudon’s prestige cuvée. Prestige cuvées are made with the grapes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Most times with an even split of the grapes. (50% Pinot Noir & 50% Chardonnay). Famous examples include Louis Roederer's Cristal, Laurent-Perrier's Grand Siècle, Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon and Pol Roger's Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill.
The Jeroboam, a (3 litre) bottle of champagne is the preferred bottle size used in celebrating Formula 1 Grand Prix victories on the podium.
You should never chill champagne in the freezer.
The ideal way of chilling a bottle of Champagne is in an ice bucket, where the bottle should be left for twenty minutes.
The ideal temperature to serve Champagne is 8-10°C (47-50°F).
A tulip shaped type of glass is ideal for drinking champagne. It allows the aromas to be well concentrated and the bubbles to have plenty of space.
Champagne bottle sizes can vary from just a few centilitres to several litres.
Here are the different bottles sizes that Champagne producers offer (the first two are rarely commercialised – you are more likely to find them on planes, in restaurants and wine cellars):
The quarter: 20cl
The half-bottle, or “fillette”: 37.5cl
The most well-known and best-selling bottles are as follows:
The standard bottle, or “Champenoise”: 75cl
Magnum: 1.5L (2 bottles of Champagne)
Jeroboam: 3L (4 bottles of Champagne)
The high-capacity bottles are rarer, and some of them, being of considerable size, are made to order for special events. You will find them by going straight to the producers. They are:
Methuselah: 6L (8 bottles of Champagne)
Salmanazar: 9L (12 bottles of Champagne)
Balthazar: 12L (16 bottles of Champagne)
Nebuchadnezzar: 15L (20 bottles of Champagne)
Solomon: 18L (24 bottles of Champagne)
Sovereign: 26.25L (35 bottles of Champagne)
Primat: 27L (36 bottles of Champagne)
Melchizedek or Midas: 30L (40 bottles of Champagne)
