The Art and Business of Champagne

When people raise their glasses in celebratory toasts, few are aware of all the work behind the fizz. Here is a book to open their eyes with an inside look--from the vineyard to the marketplace--at the world of champagne. Just like good wine, the book begins with the grapes: variety, growing season, harvesting and pressing method. While not attempting to be the definitive work on champagne making, this volume does enumerate all the steps and decisions that go into producing a quality champagne. Blending, bottling, aging, fermenting and storage are also discussed. With a view to practicality, the author--himself a champagne manufacturer--looks at the marketing and business concerns of champagne, including the necessity of balancing quality and timely production. Since, by definition, champagne comes only from Champagne, France, a brief history of and visitor's guide to this region is also included. The final chapters look at vintages from 1900 to 2003 as well as the various families who make it their business to produce some of the world's finest wines.