Break Open The Bubbly

A TALE OF several generations, the House of Drappier’s journey with Champagne is as sparkling as the beverage itself. Michel Drappier, seventh-generation member and current head of the business, explains what makes Champagne as special as it is.

- Gaurav

The crying sounds of a newborn baby signal the dawn of a new life. The mother cradles the baby in her loving arms, the baby calms down and settles into a peaceful sleep. If, however, the baby is born in the House of Drappier, he or she is welcomed to the world with a drop of Champagne on his or her tongue, as this is considered to bring good luck and good health to the baby. Oh - the privileges of the family name! 

The Drappier family’s involvement with this fine spirit is not limited to just this tradition, though, and goes back many generations. Their current location includes some magnificent 12th-century vaulted cellars, but the ancestral tree of the family has its roots in the 17th century with the birth in 1604 of Rémy Drappier, who grew up to be a cloth merchant in Reims. It was only in 1803, though, that François, one of the ancestors of the house, moved to Urville and began working on a vineyard which, in the present day, extends over an area of 55 hectares, along with several contractual arrangements with other growers in the Côte des Bar, the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. “I am not sure, though, about when and how this transformed into a tradition,” says Michel Drappier, a seventh-generation member of the House of Drappier and the CEO of the company. “At the moment of the birth, the baby would cry; however, when a drop of champagne was placed on its tongue, the baby would stop crying, as if it were happy after having tasted Champagne! Once the tongue dried, the baby would again start crying, but yes it would now have to wait for at least 10 more years before it will be allowed to taste Champagne again.”