Alice in Wonderland Day – A Sparkling Tea Party

“We’re all mad here.”

That’s right Cheshire Cat, we are all mad here, that’s why we’ll be enjoying our bottle of bubbly in a teacup, this Mad Hatter has a treat of an article for you to celebrate Alice’s Day, a day dedicated to imagination, madness and suit wearing bunny rabbits.

If you so choose to jump down the rabbit hole, we celebrate Alice’s Day on the 4th of July, the first time the story was told, so let’s discover the origin of Alice in Wonderland, then we’ll enjoy a cup of Sparkling Wine. #AliceInWonderlandDay

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

The first time a story which resembled the Alice in Wonderland we know today was told was on July 4th 1862 by a man named, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) on the River Thames, he was on a boat trip with his friend Reverend Robinson Duckworth, along with Alice, Lorina and Edith Liddell.

At the time Alice Liddell was only ten years old, and as you may have guessed, Alice Liddell became the inspiration for the name Alice in Wonderland, the Liddell girls enjoyed Charles’s story so much that they kept asking him to tell it again and again, and to write it down, as he knows we did, I mean, as we did he knows, no, that’s not right…. as we know he did, “what is the hatter with me.”

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson wrote multiple versions of his story before publishing, adding new characters each time, its amazing to know the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat were not in his first version, but thankfully, they were added before his book was ready to be published.

“No wonder you’re late, why this watch is exactly two days slow.”

Some other characters that were added were named after Alice’s sisters and himself, the bird’s Lory and Eaglet were named after Lorina and Edith and the Dodo bird was named after Charles last name, Dodgson.

“‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that’s the great puzzle!”

As many authors do, he ended up using a different name when publishing his book, he called himself by what many know him as today, Lewis Carroll, he gave one of his books to Alice as an early Christmas present in 1864, before it was even published, the next year in 1865 he self-published his book, little did he know, it would become one of the most popular children’s books ever written, made into films, sold as merchandise, videos games and now even playable in virtual reality, it is a story that has the possibility of living on forever.

“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”

A couple of interesting Facts to digest… mmmmm

1. Alice in Wonderland has never been out of print
2. Alice in Wonderland is readable in almost 200 languages
3. A sequel of Alice in Wonderland has also been created, called Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There.
4. The first time Alice in Wonderland was made into a film was in 1903

“It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

The Sparkling Wine – Motzenbäcker

This is a marvelous bottle of Sparkling Wine which has a lovely bright and welcoming label, covered in flowers, a perfect addition to any Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

Motzenbäcker has a history dating back to 1758, currently, 4 generations of the Menger-Krug family are helping in creating Motzenbäcker’s Still Wines & Sparkling Wines.

All the grapes used in a bottle of Motzenbäcker are grown on their land and they even have vines going on 40 years old.

Another interesting piece of information to take note of is that on the first full moon Motzenbäcker lumber wood to create their large moon oak barrels which contain their very best wines, with only their Chardonnay and Riesling grapes gaining entry, they are allowed to ripen in these barrels for 11 months.

Motzenbäcker – Marie Brut Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Honey on toast and cooked pear on the aroma.”

Flavours – “Hint of honey, green and red apple flavours with green apple skins and pashion fruit.”

This German Sparkling Wine won a Bronze Medal in the Zesty & Zingy Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

“Off with their heads!”

Oh No! It seems our little tea party has come to an end, till next time dear friends, that is if you don’t lose your head.