Who doesn't love a glass of champagne?! Or maybe two or three. Well if you do not I will have to suggest you take a long hard look into yourself because you are unlike any being I've come across. I'm kidding! There is probably nothing wrong with you at all. But if you can't giggle then we already know what the problem is. Now, with all seriousness and joking aside, to each their own taste. But for myself and every friend I've ever known, and have, we love a lovely glass of champagne. Doesn't matter the occasion. It could be a celebration of breaking news and congratulations. Maybe we will pop open a couple of bottles to toast each other's achievements, life choices and/or just a good old girly-girl get together. But whatever the reason champagne does make it an occasion. It's something magical about those bubbles. As those bubbles flitter around in the glass saucer or flute (whichever you desire) dancing up and down we too find ourselves all aflutter with a glass of champagne in our hands.
But champagne isn't necessarily only meant for celebrating the good times. Sometimes a glass of champagne is needed to bring celebration into something that has caused sadness no matter how little or great. A glass of champagne - or two - has a sort of restorative healing power to transform sadness into happiness. Tears into laughter. Disappointment into comfort. Heartache into a healed heart or a heart that will soon be healed. Women have been drinking champagne since the dawn of champagne to celebrate each other's lives. We have been drinking champagne to not only celebrate each other but to also shed our tears, heal our souls and comfort one another. We've known the restorative secrets of champagne for many many years and all the magic it bestows. So it's no wonder when a meet up is to discuss an announcement or a denouncement, so to speak, us women instinctively know "this will require some champagne!"
See there are slight differences in meeting up for a glass of wine or a cocktail and meeting up and determining it's an occasion for some champagne. There is also a difference in the women that only drink champagne. For those women champagne is their wine, their cocktail. Maybe those women feel champagne is always needed because every day and everything is a celebration for them. But for most of us, champagne is for an event or a life event of sorts. The only thing that event determines is how much bloody champagne is required for us to drink. If it's for a celebration the answer will probably be a little too much. But if it's for those really serious girl chats we know emotions are high so we have to stay one glass before the one-two many. No one wants to look at the ugly cry face, because someone has had one too many glasses while sipping on their glass flute or glass saucer of perfectly dry champagne. The occasion of champagne, no matter the cause, still requires a certain amount of dignity.
So what is it that makes champagne so special? Is it solely the bubbles? I think not! Sparkling wine has bubbles but when did you ever see an occasion for a tower of glass champagne saucers and a saber used to open a bottle of sparkling wine? Never I would suspect. And if you have it wasn't appropriate. Sabrage is a technique used for opening a bottle of champagne with a saber/sword. It's a technique which became popular in France during the celebrations of Napoleon's victories around Europe. But is that what makes it special? I'm unsure.
Or is it the technique perfected by the house of Madame Clicquot Ponsardin called riddling which transformed champagne from a glass of cloudy sweetness into the beautifully dry champagne free from sediments of yeast we drink today? I have no idea! All I know is those occasions when we feel the need for a glass of champagne, or two, no matter how happy or sad, it's a universal sign of celebration. We celebrate what makes us happy. We celebrate what makes us sad. Why? Because celebrations are life! Life is an experience of everything. Life is good. Life can be bad. Life is moments of happiness. Life is moments of sadness. Life can be a constant battle of ups and downs. Life is a process of discovery and we learn life by a series of events and changes. If we are fortunate enough during these life ups and downs we will accidentally discover something wonderful, special and beautiful. Just like the accidental discovery of champagne.
Maybe that's why champagne is so special to us and is an expression of our celebrations. The celebration of life! Champagne itself represents life, doesn't it? Champagne is life! Champagne is the result of agitation and excitement coming together and forming something beautifully exquisite. The agitations and turbulence we experience in life along with the excitement and eagerness gives us balance. Maybe this is why that knot we feel in our guts from both agitation and excitement can be cured by a glass of champagne. Because champagne is created with agitation and excitement. We are created with agitation and excitement. Champagne is us and maybe we are champagne.
Whatever the reason, champagne is very special to us. It celebrates our cheers and our tears. We share it with our families and friends just like we share our lives. Champagne helps temper the worst of agitations and elevates and celebrates all of our excitements. So when you see two friends, or a group of friends, sharing a bottle of perfectly chilled champagne understand they may be celebrating the cheers of life. Or they may be celebrating the tears. But most of all understand they are celebrating life and all of its ups, downs and highs and lows. I think Napoleon Bonaparte said it best "Champagne! In victory one deserves it, in defeat one needs it."
Cheers
Tracy
"Jesus turned water into wine. The monks turn wine into sparkling wine. A region turned sparkling wine into champagne. A woman perfected it." - Tracy
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