Five Myths about Champagne – Debunked

No matter what kind of drink you drink, alcohol or otherwise, there are plenty of myths floating around. Some are hearsay, some are passed down from parents to children simply because that is what they always have believed. If you are a parent, you may have had ulterior motives to saying something about Champagne that you’re not sure is true.

So let’s look at some myths surrounding Champagne.

Myth #1:
Champagne makes you feel drunk faster than any other wine and you’ll have a hangover the next day.

Fact: Champagne is bubbly and bubbles makes us chug it. It may remind some of us like soda when we were younger…the good stuff like soda, is good chugged. Most people when they finish Champagne, don’t drink water after, so that makes you feel drunk and have a hangover. Tip: Drink a glass or two of water after any Champagne you drink.

Myth #2:
The monk Dom Pérignon invented Champagne

Fact: Although people believe that the monk from Benedictine, Dom Pierre Pérignon created what is now Champagne, this is not true. He only helped with research to better the production and quality wines. The luxurious wine, Dom Pérignon, was named after the monk. This luxurious wine may be the only one named after a person, as most wines are named after the region or the kind of grape variety it was created from!

Myth #3:
You must drink Champagne out of flutes

Fact: As much as you would like to think this, thanks to all the movies it’s portrayed in, it’s not true. Experts say that while flutes retain the bubbles longer than other glasses, it is not the only option. You can get the most oomph from the taste and flavor by serving it in a classic wine glass. Now of course, if you want to be fancy, break out the Champagne flutes, but offer your guests classic wine glasses too. Actually, according to some people, the flutes limit the ability to smell the wine as well.

Myth #4:
Champagne should be served ice cold.

Fact:
While wine is best served cold, serving it while it is too cold is a bad thing. While cold wine might taste good on a hot day, it is not the best for tasting. When the wine is cold, the flavor is masked and the aroma is muted as well. This does not do when you are tasting wine that is too cold, especially for the first time. So allowing the wine to sit out for a few minutes until it is room temperature can be ideal when it comes to serving the wine for a party of guests. Everyone has their own preferences though. Experts do agree that wine should not be served ice cold.

Myth #5:
Uncorking the bottle should be a fancy show and make a mess.

Fact: Despite all those television shows and movies where they make a big show of uncorking the wine, this is not the case for real life. You could hurt someone badly with the cork if you are not careful. There are a lot of tools to help you uncork a wine bottle safely. Corkscrews, restaurant quality tools can be the way to go. There are even bottles you can open with your fingers, but it’s more traditional to use a tool, especially at social gatherings.

There are many more myths surrounding what food is best paired with Champagne or any other wine and other things like that. Depending on who you are and what you have come to believe, you might want to do some searching and see if the things you know about wine and Champagne really are true. Remember though, not to believe everything you read online. The things you read may want you to believe a certain way, called a bias, or there are some things that may not be true at all. It is up to you what you believe as well.