Champagne As a Political Tool Essay

Total Length: 1087 words ( 4 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 10

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Champagne is definitely regarded as one of the most luxurious beverage to have existed and the amount of influential people who used it as a means to put across their status only contributes to its significance for society as a whole. Royal courts and the aristocracy in general have become accustomed to using champagne because of the beverage's cost and because it was relatively rare on the market. While it initially came to be appreciated because of its novelty, it gradually came to be regarded as a fine beverage that should mainly be used to highlight an important event.

The fact that champagne is a rare commodity is also visible when considering that, across time, it came to be associated with celebrations -- to the degree to which people drinking it are likely to ask "What are we celebrating?" The fact that champagne is one of the most common beverages that people use when celebrating the New Year further contributes to showing champagne's status as a beverage meant to be used when people are witnessing a special event. For millennia people have been accustomed to drinking alcoholic beverages that were of finer quality during the celebration of the New Year.

Champagne's connection to religion is truly intriguing, considering that it came close to replacing it in some situations. To a certain degree champagne actually became a symbol of the secular movement, taking into account that it came to be used in rituals as a replacement for religious rituals. While priests were previously called to christen ships, many replaced that tradition by using champagne.
It is difficult and almost impossible to determine if these respective people actually considered religious ideas when choosing champagne as the liquid to be used when christening ships. Even with this, champagne's power is only emphasized as a consequence of it being used in order to launch ships.

Tens of kings have been crowned in Reims, one of the most significant cities in the French region of Champagne. The beverage was often used during coronation festivities and, as previously said, the aristocracy came to love it as a consequence of its values. With kings being crowned in Reims, it was common for celebrations to involve wine made locally. This improved the way that champagne was viewed, as Kings would use it as a drink of choice during the most significant moments in their lives. The masses also observed this and thus came to see it as a liquid fit for some of society's most important people. While champagne is believed to be around since the sixteenth century, it was not until the end of the seventeenth century that a famous monk named Dom Perignon used a special recipe in order to improve it. "As demand for effervescent wine grew, he began packaging the product in bottles, helping to maintain its sparkle. He also figured out how to stopper the bottles with corks, and how to secure the corks with string." (Epstein)

Not only did the French aristocracy appreciate champagne for its taste….....

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"Champagne As A Political Tool" (2015, November 19) Retrieved June 19, 2025, from
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"Champagne As A Political Tool" 19 November 2015. Web.19 June. 2025. <
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"Champagne As A Political Tool", 19 November 2015, Accessed.19 June. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/champagne-political-tool-2160623