Opening scene : We find Marie Antoinette, the future Queen of France walking in vineyards in Bouzy. The year is 1770.

A dinner in honor of the future Queen is to be held in a castle not far from the village.

Enter : Andre Clouet, who started to entertain the guests at the Queen’s table by adding a few drops of red wine from Champagne to white wine. Known as “Bouzy Rouge,” this Vin des Sacres, was the red wine served to celebrate the crowning of the French Kings.

On that night, the ladies at the table eyes began to sparkle with amazement as the white wine became pink.

Standing, the men raised a toast to the Queen and Andre Clouet proclaimed: “This is how we perfect Pinot Noir in Champagne! Now the Burgundians will just have to deal with it!”

A few years later, a cousin placed an order for some of this pink wine, but sparkling this time, for her crazy English friends!