Champagne de la Jarretière | Champagne Authentique

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The brand, the history.

In the 19th century, the brands under Maisons de Champagne appeared on Champagne labels, in order to distinguish them from competitors.

Towards the end of the 19th century, it became customary to mark certain events with a specially-designed commemorative label. This opened the way for unbridled creativity.
The considerable progress made in transport also benefited the champagne trade. The number of expeditions to Britain rose between 1895 and 1900.

The company Michel Lévy et Fils, established in 1858, and no longer in existence today, registered the Champagne de la Jarretière brand almost 120 years ago on 12 July 1900, in honour of the prestigious Order of the Garter and the British passion for Champagne wine.

The Most Noble Order of the Garter

The Order of the Garter is the most senior order of knighthood in the British system. It is also the most ancient order, dating from 1348 and the reign of Edward III.

According to the legend, its name originates from a dance between Edward III and his mistress, the Countess of Salisbury. She dropped her garter and the King immediately bent down to pick it up. As his courtiers sniggered, he declared: “Honi soit qui mal y pense “. This became the motto of the Order.

The Order of the Garter remains the highest order of British knighthood today, and one of the most prestigious in the world. Those who are admitted to the Order are bestowed with the title ‘Sir’.

In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the 700th anniversary of this Order. The ceremony took place in Saint George’s Chapel, which is both the seat of the Order of the Garter and the venue for Prince Henry’s marriage to Meghan Markle in 2018.

Art and Champagne

An obvious link between artistic creation, women as the apotheosis of beauty, and champagne, the most sophisticated of wines.

Advertising posters magnificently illustrated the history of Champagne.
They revealed artists’ imagination and the cultural and spiritual influences of high society, in addition to the evolution of Champagne.
The most frequently used image in such posters was that of a woman. During the Belle Epoque, Champagne producers spared no expense in engaging the most talented and renowned poster artists of the time. The poster designed in 1900 for Michel Lévy et Fils, for our brand Champagne de la Jarrretière, was particularly audacious for the time.

An elegant figure holds a glass in one hand and lifts her skirts with the other so that a handsome older gentleman with a monocle, kneeling before her, may fasten a garter to her shin. The caption on the poster reads “Gentlemen, do you wish to conquer hearts? Offer Champagne de la Jarretière”.

Our champagne

Thanks to three emblematic varieties, pinot meunier, pinot noir and chardonnay, each wine is a unique composition of freshness, smoothness and power.

Champagne de La Jarretière reveals the skill behind the Champagne method, a wine-growing technique combining traditional methods with a touch of modernity to produce high-quality French champagnes from the terroir of one of the world’s most famous vineyards.