December 28, 2022 – Theme Week Day 1

After a weeklong absence (thanks a lot, COVID!) the Wiki Corner is back with another theme week! This time our theme is New Year’s Eve, which is coming up quickly! No New Year’s Eve celebration is complete without popping a bottle of Champagne. By the way, it’s technically only champagne if it’s produced in the Champagne region of France. All other bottles of bubbly are sparkling wine. The bubbles were originally thought to be a flaw. They caused all sorts of issues during production, including explosions.  Then a Benedictine monk named Dom Perignon (you may have heard of him) came along and made some pretty major innovations, including using thicker glass bottles and using a rope to hold the corks in place. That’s how we got the muselet – the wire cage that goes over the cork – which was invented in 1844. Champagne was originally marketed as being a royal and aristocratic drink, but it started to go more mainstream in the 19th century. Though improved production methods made the wine more affordable than ever before, many people lacked the funds to drink it regularly. So it began to be marketed as a treat for special occasions and holidays – like New Year’s Eve. Learn more here.