Napoleon Bonaparte is a hero born of modern French history. He emerged like a comet after the French Revolution, conquered Europe, and crowned himself emperor.
Some evaluate him as the 'father of France' in the sense that, along with military achievements, he contributed to making France a modern nation-state.
Like many historical figures, Napoleon also left various stories about wine.
"I cannot live without champagne.I drink it to toast when I win.I drink it to comfort myself when I lose.""Je ne peux vivre sans champagne,en cas de victoire, je le mérite,en cas de défaite, j’en ai besoin."
Although the source cannot be verified, this phrase often appears in France when describing Napoleon's love for champagne.
At the globally renowned Champagne house Moët & Chandon archives, there is a painting recording the time in 1807 when Napoleon personally visited the underground champagne cellars.
Three order documents for champagne that Napoleon personally placed remain. The first order was made on August 15, 1801, the date of Napoleon's thirty-second birthday.
The second order was in 1803, at the time he was crowned emperor at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
The third order came a few months before the historic Battle of Austerlitz. The Battle of Austerlitz is considered to be Napoleon's most brilliant victory among many.
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point lists the strategy used by Napoleon in this battle as "a tactical example that must be addressed." Facing a battle that would go down in history, he seemed to foresee victory and ordered champagne in advance.
Moët & Chandon began calling their basic champagne 'Imperial' from 1799 to honor Napoleon, who was the great emperor at the time. Imperial means 'majestic' in English.
But, as is well known, glory did not last long.
Napoleon began to walk the path of decline after the Russian campaign. After losing the Battle of Waterloo, even champagne to comfort himself no longer remained for Napoleon.
In 1814, the champagne-producing region of Champagne fell into the hands of the Prussian army. They plundered underground cellars of various champagne houses indiscriminately. Russian nobles became aware of the taste of French champagne at this time. As a result, Alexander II, who led the reform period of the Russian Empire, also produced a champagne, 'Cristal,' exclusively for the emperor in 1876, much like Napoleon.
While Napoleon is gone, the culture left by the French Imperial Guard, who guarded him closely, still lives on with champagne.
The cavalrymen who once fought while mounted as part of the Imperial Guard celebrated victories by cutting the neck of champagne bottles with the long swords they wore at their waists.
Holding the bottom of the bottle with one hand and the sword with the other, they lightly push the sword to hit the protruding part of the neck. To ensure that the pressure is not too strong and that excessive bubbles do not form, the champagne bottle must be sufficiently chilled before attempting.
This method, called 'sabrage,' is still often used at festivals, parties, anniversaries, and ceremonial events where a touch of elegance is needed.
Bonvalet Brut won first place in a blind tasting conducted by the Republican Guard, which protects the presidential palace, for the official champagne selection in 2020. It is produced by Bonvalet, a newly established champagne house that opened in 2012.
Typically, famous champagne houses have a history that spans several hundred years. Most of these champagne houses operate under family management. The status of being a 'champagne aristocrat' has followed them for generations.
In contrast, the thirty-seven-year-old young winemaker Guillaume Bonvalet, who founded Bonvalet, is a graduate of a business school in Paris. After graduating, he worked at renowned champagne houses with the intention of starting a champagne house named after himself.
After mastering champagne-making techniques, he took out a bank loan to establish Bonvalet. Born in Corsica, which was on the outskirts of the French kingdom, he shares similarities with Napoleon, who rose to the position of emperor.
The champagne Bonvalet Blanc De Blanc he created received the 'Best of 2025' award, given to the wine with the highest rating in the sparkling wine category at the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards 2025. The importer is Nihonshu Korea.