Champagne

"Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right."

"Im fond of fire, and crickets, and all that, A lobster salad, and champagne, and chat."

"We had champagne … what was the governors compared with it? — no better than cider. Just fancy, not Cliquot but a special Cliquot-Matradura which means double Cliquot."

"Moet, that wine most blest and heady, Or Veuve Cliquot, the finest class, Is brought in bottle chilled and ready And set beside the poets glass. Like Hippocrene it sparkles brightly, It fizzes, foams, and bubbles lightly (A simile in many ways); It charmed me too, in other days: For its sake once, I squandered gladly My last poor pence… remember, friend? Its magic stream brought forth no end Of acting foolish, raving madly, And, oh, how many jests and rhymes, And arguments, and happy times!"

"Frederick the Greats father was a reveler, he loved wine, but did not like learning. One day he decided to let the Berlin Society of Sciences, founded by Leibniz, solve a problem: what causes the foam of champagne wine, which he really liked. The Academy asked for 60 bottles for a thorough study of the problem and the necessary tests. “Let they go to hell,” said the king, “it’s better for me to never know what’s matter, I can to drink champagne without them.”"

"CHAMPAGNE. The sign of a grand dinner. Pretend to despise it, saying: It isnt really a wine. Arouses the enthusiasm of the lower orders. Russia drinks more of it than France. The medium through which French ideas have been spread throughout Europe. During the Regency people did nothing but drink champagne. But one doesnt drink champagne: one sips it."

"Vozhevatov: Shall we have a cold drink, Mokiy Parmyonych?"

"In those days we drank nothing but champagne — if we had no champagne we drank nothing at all. We never drank vodka, as they do now."

"Only upstarts and parvenus shout to the whole tavern: “Champagne!” But every self-respecting person should use to say “wine.” And everyone around you should immediately understand that since you say wine, you mean champagne and not anything else. So in a restaurant, never shout: “Champagne!” Order to the waiter in a low voice, but impressively: “Be so kind as to bring me some wine.” He will understand. Rest assured. He will bring what you need."

"The clanking of spurs was heard in the entryway, and quite unexpectedly the loud lieutenant Prince Urusov Sr. entered the room and immediately plopped down on the sofa. “What? Sick, you say?! What nonsense! Your illness will not touch anyone and no one is interested. Her Majestys Cuirassier menHer Majesty the Empress Maria Feodorovnas Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment, or Blue Cuirassiers, or Gatchina Cuirassiers, existed since 1704 till 1918. are always ready to drink again! Havent you learned this yet? And then, my soul, you talk nonsense, your head cannot hurt: in the Assembly they only drink Mumm Sec Cordon Vert. Excellent brand! Yes, yes... and it never causes any catsHangover.. Drink only Mumm, only Sec, and only Cordon Vert all your life, and youll always be fine. I beg you of one thing: never drink any Demi-sec! Believe me, my prince: firstly, any Demi-sec is emetic, and secondly, its the same vulgarity as detachable cuffs or traveling in second class. So: Mumm Sec Cordon Vert, got it?.."

"...Youre less of a judge of such matters, Mishka, than a calf is of swill. But I know whats what where liquors concerned. The liquors and wines Ive come to drink in my time! Theres wine which foams out of the bottle like out of a mad dog almost before youve pulled the cork - God knows Im not lying. In Poland, when we broke through the front and rode with Budionny to shake up the Poles, we took a certain estate by storm. When our troop dashed into the estate on horseback there were officers feasting with the masterr — they werent expecting us. We sabred them all in the orchard and on the stairs, but we took one prisoner. Well, we went into the downstairs rooms and there was a huge table with all kinds of eats on it! Lovely sight it was… Ay, we stuffed ourselves and drank that foaming wine till it we were stuffed up to our eyes. We tugged at a cork and it flew out as though shot from a gun, and the froth boiled up in a great cloud. That wine made me fall off my horse three times that night. The moment I climbed into my saddle I was sent flying again as though blown clean off by the wind. Now if only I could always drink wine like that, a glass or two on an empty stomach, Id live to be a hundred. But as things are, is anyone likely to live out his time? Do you call this drink, for instance? Its an infection, not a drink! Its enough to make you turn up your toes before your time!" With a nod Prokhor indicated the ewer of vodka and poured himself out another glass full to the brim."

"The last words of Anton Chekhov before he died were what? You remember? He said, Ich sterbe, that is, Im dying . And later he added, Pour me some champagne. And only then did he die. ...And Friedrich Schiller not only couldnt die, he couldnt live, without champagne. Do you know how he wrote? Hed put his feet in an icy bath, pour out the champagne, and write. Hed go through one glassful — and a whole act of a of a tragedy would be ready. Hed go through five glasses and a whole tragedy in five acts would be ready."