A Year in Champagne 2014
Distributed by First Run Features, 630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036; 212-243-0600
Produced by Todd Ruppert and David Kennard
Directed by David Kennard
DVD, color, 122 min.
Middle School - General Adult
Business, Entrepreneurship, France, Wine Industry, World History
Date Entered: 12/01/2015
Reviewed by Caron Knauer, LaGuardia Community College, Long Island City, New YorkA primer in Champagne making and promoting, this documentary highlights the history and business of making bubbly. It takes viewers behind the scenes into the winemaking process and the people for whose livelihood it is. The factoid I found most fascinating is how every bottle is for a time turned daily by hand in the cellar, a procedure which forces the dead yeast cells into the neck of the bottle where they are ultimately removed. Nothing can replace the human touch!
The tumultuous history of the region is touched upon, and the viewer drinks up scenic, evocative vistas and fields of grapes (and grape workers) in varying seasons. With wine importer Martine Saunier, we go behind the scenes to six houses including Champagne Saint-Chamant, Gosset and Bollinger. We hear from a variety of people involved in making, selling, and promoting Champagne. Every rule from standards regarding the size of grapes is explained, and every step of the process is shown. The filmmaking matches the magic of its subject, and so I propose a toast to A Year in Champagne!