Champagne: A Global History, Second Edition

by Becky Sue Epstein

Overview

Newly revised and expanded, a cultural history of the most famous of bubbly wines.
 
Now available in a revised and expanded new edition, Champagne explores the history of sparkling wines and the people who make and enjoy them, from Dom Pérignon to Veuve Clicquot. Becky Sue Epstein traces the bubbly’s journey from the sixteenth-century French monasteries to commercialized modern vineyards across Europe and the Americas. Epstein explains the science of fizz, proper storage and serving techniques, and the distinction between champagne and other sparkling wines. Whether you enjoy magnums of Cristal or prosecco, Champagne is an elegant, informative gift for wine lovers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789149951
Publisher:	Reaktion Books, Limited
Publication date:	08/12/2025
Series:	Edible
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	4.72(w) x 7.76(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Becky Sue Epstein is a food and travel writer based in Massachusetts. She is the author of many books, including Brandy: A Global History, also in Reaktion’s Edible series.

Table of Contents

Bubbling Up to the Top: Champagne and Other Great Sparkling Wines 1. The Origins of Champagne 2. The Cult and Culture of Champagne 3. Champagne is Established 4. Sparkling Wine Producers Around the World 5. Wars, Society and Taste: Stresses on Champagne in the Twentieth Century 6. Style, Styles and Stylishness 7. Scandale! Expanding Champagne Around the World 8. Drinking Today: What, Where and How Champagne Rules: Buying, Storing, Serving What to Have with your Champagne and Sparkling Wine Classic Cocktail Recipes for Champagne and Sparkling Wine Select Bibliography Websites and Associations Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

Editorial Reviews

"A sparkling history of the world's greatest wine. Stories, pictures and mouth-watering cocktails."

The Lady

"An entertaining look at the worlds most celebratory beverage. Pop a cork and enjoy a flûte of our favorite bubbly while brushing up on champagne lore."

The Tasting Panel

"With the holidays around the corner, now might be a good time to brush up on your Champagne facts. Epsteins book, slim and elegant like a flute of sparkling wine, is brimming with information, from the essential the evolution of Champagne to the esoteric."

Palate Press

"This short volume, wittily illustrated and beautifully designed, is a pleasure both to look at and to consume. Which, given the subject matter, seems fitting."

The Spectator

"Champagne is an invaluable complement to a glass of bubbly as well as an informative, elegant gift for all wine lovers."

Intermezzo