The Making of A Fine Champagne

Beyond the frivolous / epicurean / hedonistic lifestyle soaked in the bubbles, I seek to understand and share something deeper about life through the champagne glass. Philosophy is, in everything, everywhere. Take your time to see, with the eyes of the mind, and observe, through the windows of your heart. Even the act of staring at a rock, or its euphemism, “stoning”, is a deeply meditative practice. So why not observe and ponder over a glass?

Over the course of three bottles of champagne at lunch, the question on the meaning of life was randomly spoken. Despite having half of the table filled with dignified white hairs, who is really qualified to talk about life, except, perhaps, someone who is already dead. Yes, dead. Only the dead had completely gone through life before, and might have obtained one insight more than us, us living mortals who are still struggling with the meaning of it all.

Time distills the essence of everything and when the time of life elapsed, life is done for, along with any significance attached to it. It’s like finishing a bottle of champagne, emptying out until no traces of any substance left. Since the moment of that gentle popping, its mission has been accomplished. All the efforts and years of making, for that one occasion of inebriated enjoyment. Could that be all it is? No. Clearly, the making encompasses more meaning than the drinking. The making is the journey of life itself.

Champagne aged in barrels, Paul Launois. Original photo was taken in May 2023, during a trip to Champagne, AI-enhanced effects, @TheBubblyGal.

The making of a (fine) champagne, and life too, necessitates much deliberation. It is not by chance. There is much precision and attention to the details, dedication of tireless efforts and labour. It requires a passion that doesn’t burn itself down, but slowly and surely, day after night, persists. The grower champagne which I contributed to the table was an Art de Vigne 2007 Extra Brut Millésime, a single vintage aged in oak, then on lees (which refers to a process of letting the champagne mature and age on top of spent yeast and other particulate matters) for at least 10 years. It paired well with our lunch at a Chinese restaurant Yi Qian Private Dining, consisting of dishes such as cold crabs, garlic squids, steamed fish.

Tasting Note (curtesy of Wine Source) on Jacques Picard 'Art de Vigne 2007 Extra Brut Millésime, an aged grower champagne.

Let the sediments settle, over memories of the past and the dead.

Let the effervescence be kept a secret, till the right time to be released at an unhurried pace.

Let its golden sparkles speak of the years of maturity, yet remaining elegant and light-hearted, the way a joyous life should be.

In the art and science of champagne making, as much as in the making of our lives and living, deliberation and dedication over time seem to be the message in the bottle.