Secularization

Regarding expropriation (secularization) of vineyards and/or vineyards owned by the church, see under .

The French ruler Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was born in Ajaccio on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. He crowned himself emperor in 1804 in what he perceived as the succession of Charlemagne (742-814). Apart from his public activities, we also know a great deal about his private life, as there is a multi-volume biography that describes every day of his life in at least a few lines from the age of 20. It is well known from numerous anecdotes that he loved tobacco, women and wine, especially champagne. At least three wines are said to have been his favourites or at least to have been enjoyed by him. The red wine (made from Pinot Noir) from the Burgundy appellation of Gevrey-Chambertin on the Côte de Nuits is mentioned most frequently, although he often diluted it with water. The second is the forerunner of the white Pouilly-Fumé from the Sauvignon Blanc variety from the upper Loire. And the third is the forerunner of the red Rossese di Dolceacqua from the Italian region of Liguria on the French border. He also usually had the best wines mixed with water.

Napoleon Bonaprte - zu Pferd, Cognac Courvoisier und als Kaiser

Napoleon's relationship with cognac and champagne

There is also a special relationship with cognac. In 1811, Napoleon visited the wine merchant Emmanuel Courvoisier in his spirits shop in Paris, from which the famous cognac house emerged in 1835. This company later...

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Secularization

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon's relationship with cognac and champagne

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