Wine for Normal People
Wine for Normal People
Elizabeth Schneider
Ep 610: The Greats - A History of Champagne (How Champagne Became Champagne) Part 2
44 minutes Posted Jun 16, 2026 at 12:03 am.
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Show notes

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...

 

 

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