Champagne makes parting a sweet sorrow

“I only drink Champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad.”

Lily Bollinger

Today was a little bit sad because my sister and her husband are leaving us to return to their home in England. Indeed as I write this they are sitting around the airport waiting to board - any moment now I should think. So we had a farewell lunch outside on the terrace in the beautiful sunshine with a bottle of bubbly. I know I put champagne in the title here, but, of course it wasn't champagne, it was Australian sparkling wine. We are not allowed to call it champagne. It's pretty good stuff though.

But why did we have bubbly rather than 'ordinary ' wine? Well it was a special occasion and special occasions demand bubbly. Even now when it is so common, and so cheap and we could drink it every day if we wanted to, we tend to save this kind of wine for special occasions. And long may it stay like this. If we had it every day it wouldn't be special any more would it?

“Champagne! In victory one deserves it, in defeat one needs it.” Napoleon Bonaparte

It's use as a celebratory drink arose out of its initial expense and use by the aristocracy. It wasn't a poor man's drink. And I remember when we went to Epernay - one of the main champagne producing towns in France, learning that the house of Mercier there was responsible for bringing it to the 'ordinary' people. Mr. Mercier was aggressive with his advertising and also brought the cost down. So now we can all drink it.

At the Melbourne spring racing carnival you could be forgiven for thinking it was the only drink available - and probably at the Grand Prix as well. Weddings, birthdays, New Year's Eve - even wakes - it's always bubbly. So it was the natural option for farewelling my sister - even if it was a potentially sad occasion. Because there's something so unremittingly cheerful about bubbly isn't there?

So farewell my lovely sister. Have a celebratory bubbly on me when you get home and are back in the bosom of your family.

“My only regret in life is that I didn’t drink enough Champagne”

John Maynard Keynes

Don't drink too much though - it is alcohol after all.