To mark the 50th anniversary of the Crémant de Bourgogne PDO this specialist in Burgundy’s winegrowing past and co-founder of PArHis (Patrimoine-Archive-Histoire) has written ‘Bulles’, the history of this regional sparkling wine. A fascinating succession of ups and downs, surprises and disappointments…
What was the starting point for this book?
Three years ago now, the Union of Crémant de Bourgogne producers and winemakers contacted me and my partner Guillaume Grillon to look into the question of how places like Chambertin, Romanée, Chablis… are represented in the history of the marketing of Burgundy sparkling wines. At the time, they were seeking authorisation from the INAO to include an additional geographical indication on labels. But the subject seemed so rich that the union decided to go further, by financing a larger-scale project: writing a book.
A sumptuous book! Nearly 350 pages of well-documented history. That’s a lot of work, isn’t it? How did you go about it?
Guillaume and I spent three years on this project. Full time as far as I’m concerned. We consulted public archives, of course, but also those of Bouchard Père & Fils and Veuve Ambal for example, and interviewed key players in the sector, such as the former president of the Bureau interprofessionnel des vins de Bourgogne, Jean-François Delorme… In short, it was a very long and considered piece of research and writing.
This investigation allows you to establish a few truths. The first of these concerns the anteriority of Burgundy sparkling wines. The least we can say is that they date back a long way!
The first traces of their production in Burgundy, in a highly structured way, date back to the 1820s. Nuits-Saint-Georges, Tonnerre and Chalon-sur-Saône were the epicentres. We already knew that. What we didn’t realise was the scale of the phenomenon. Just think: at the time, Jules Lausseure et Cie’s volumes were double those of Bouchard Père & Fils! That’s how ambitious they were! And we were not at the end of our surprises… Some English works mention the existence of sparkling burgundies as early as 1720, at the very time when champagnes were also beginning to make a name for themselves…
From 1860 to 1930 was a real golden age for sparkling burgundies…
Yes, indeed, from a number of points of view. First of all, the champagnisation of grands crus was commonplace. Simonnet-Febvre produced its own sparkling Moutonne and Labouré-Gontard its Clos de Vougeot effervescent. Better still, they sold for as much as the corresponding still wines. Enough to make today’s producers and winemakers dream! Then, there’s the clientele. Very international. As in Champagne, the wine merchants concerned shipped all over the world: to England, the United States, Russia… Now for the volumes, there are no precise estimates. But, in 1920, production of around 3 million bottles of sparkling burgundies seems plausible, the same level as that reached in the 1970s, before the adoption of the ‘Crémant de Bourgogne’ appellation decree! As for the profile of the wines, it has nothing to do with what already exists. At the beginning of the 19th century, sparkling wines were very, very sweet. They were generally served with desserts. Then, gradually, from the 1870s onwards, the English begann to favour drier versions. In a manner of speaking: the sugar content was still around 5g/l!
And red sparkling wines were very popular, no?
Not in France. The French preferred to drink great sparkling white wines. And their red counterparts were quite complex to make. But abroad, in the English, Scandinavian and American markets in particular, they were a huge success. By the beginning of the 20th century, they accounted for two-thirds of Burgundy’s production.
Generally speaking, the book paints an unusual picture of Burgundy’s wines, far from the image of a product of the vine, made in a very artisanal way by passionate people…
The idealised image you’re talking about was entirely shaped from the 1970s onwards. In fact, during the golden age of sparkling burgundies, their producers worked in the same way as their colleagues producing still wines. They both produced large quantities of wine in highly technical cellars. In fact, at that time, any decent wine merchant sold both wines.
Unfortunately, by the 1930s, it was no longer a success. How do you explain this turnaround?
With the exception of champagne, all sparkling wines paid a high price for the introduction of regulations to protect PDOs, which began in 1919. They were relegated to second-class bubbles. As a result, prices fell and quality declined. Because of insufficient yields, producers did not hesitate to adopt a less expensive alternative to the Champagne method…
However, since the 2000s, the sector has been enjoying a new lease of life…
Yes, in the early 1970s, two things became clear: on the one hand, consumption of Burgundy sparkling wines was on the up again. In France, it even caught up with champagne. A first in their history! On the other, the term ‘sparkling’ wine had become a pejorative. Producers therefore had a vested interest in improving the image of their wines. That’s what the 1975 decree was all about. As well as adopting the term ‘Crémant de Bourgogne’, the decree also introduced specifications for the production of base wines. The decree put an end to the practice of champagnising anything and everything. From now on, only wines specifically made for this purpose could be transformed into sparkling ones. However, this revolution did not bear fruit until the 21st century…
What are the new challenges facing Burgundy Crémant today?
As a historian, I’m not in the best position to answer this question. But in my opinion, recent history bears witness to the ability of these wines to forge their own path, without following in the footsteps of champagne. They have found their place in the world of sparkling wines. Today, two visions coexist. For some, blending is still the ideal way to make good Burgundy Crémant, while others are banking on parcel-based production…