Champagne and cinema have maintained a friendly relationship for a long time.
      The bottle for great occasions can not fail to inspire new artists, where magician, technician and businessman mingle together. Everybody knows that in 1895 the Lumière brothers (with their very appropriate name), gave the first cinema performance on the Paris boulevards, but we have forgotten that the following year, they filmed the first ever promotional film at Épernay, and that the star was of course Champagne !
      The House of Moët & Chandon thus "sponsored", a long time before any Evin law forbid it, the actual invention of the cinema. This masterly feat was followed by many others. Since then, cinema has frequently led to popping corks both on and off the set. Laurel and Hardy argued over a bottle of Piper-Heidsieck. Alfred Hitchcock himself directed a film called "Champagne". American comedies, whether musical or not, give a leading part to the wines of Champagne. And there is no end to the list of scenes where the wine of Kings helps the characters' dialogue. In fact, the art of the capturing the moment and the emotion naturally met Champagne at its birth and it has never left it.

Piper-Heidsieck encourages good cinema

      The Houses who built the worldwide fame of Champagne are today working to maintain it. Piper-Heidsieck is loyal to the special links that were established with the cinema. This House, on the boulevard Henry Vasnier, took an interesting initiative. It joined forces with the British Film Institute to launch a collection of classic films. This enterprise is governed by the following idea: numerous famous films only exist in a form( being ) spoilt by the passing of time, commercial needs or even by censorship. The British Film Institute took over the task of restoring these films and returning them to their original state, as desired by their authors. Richard Attenborough, film-maker and President of the British Film Institute, explains : "The collection of classic films is a precious resource:
We are convinced that the cinema of the past has a good future. However, we can only preserve this heritage if there are new copies of these films, presented with all the care and all the production values that such classics deserve. This is exactly what we are able to do with the patronage of the Champagne Piper-Heidsieck, because together we are going to gather a unique collection, which will soon have a visible effect throughout the world".
      This is an ambitious enterprise: the collection represents an important investment and four years work. It consists of about two hundred films and will be shown worldwide during festivals in film archives and specialised cinemas. The programmes are varied. They embrace the whole history of the cinema. They include silent films as well as recent films; the prevailing criterion is always the artistic value of the film in question. It goes without saying that the film archives of many countries are involved in this project; cinematographic heritage is international by nature.

The first works restored in this way are the films from the English period of Alfred Hitchcock, the first films by the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, and the immortal musicals directed by Arthur Freed for M.G.M. The restoration task is considerable. So, for the silent film "Blackmail" by Hitchcock, which was hardly ever shown, the B.F.I. ordered an original soundtrack. Indeed, Piper-Heidsieck received an award for this piece of patronage: the ABSA prize (the Andersen prize for sponsoring art) was presented to its President, Jean-Pierre Giraud by HRH, Prince Charles in December 1992.
		His Royal Highness, Prince Charles congratulates JP. Giraud, a generous patron of the cinema

Bricout, the Champagne of the stars

		The House of Avize is one of the leaders in the French on-trade sector. It has logically chosen to keep the tradition of celebration alive. The actors and cinema professionals always show great appreciation in this respect. It is because celebrations are a great instant, an intense moment of life. Everyone with a profession committed to creating emotions to display to the public needs these intense moments, which are, at the same time, both a reward and an incentive. The Champagne Bricout wishes to be seen as "the Champagne of the stars" and the House devotes a great deal of energy to preparing celebrations for the people in show business.
The hidden camera team celebrates with Champagne Bricout at the Procope

In 1988, it took part in the Cannes Film Festival for the first time. Its wines were greatly appreciated at the dinner for the cinema poster presentation night, the dinner for the film trailer festival and the one for the European year of the cinema presided over by Mrs Simone Veil. The House opened a VIP club as well as "the Bricout terrace of elegance" where television shows have been filmed. It would be fastidious to enumerate the numerous stars who have been able to enjoy the charming hospitality of the Champagne region and its wines.
      Furthermore, the House of Bricout actively participates in evening events for "Paris society life". It holds receptions in fashionable restaurants for actors to mark the occasion of their dress rehearsal or first night. Writers are also invited. There are thus many opportunities to form happy friendships and to get to know and appreciate the wines of Champagne. Yet again, it is difficult to mention everybody. Claude Rich and Pierre Brasseur have enjoyed a Bricout Champagne dinner at the famous café Procope. At the café des Capucines, the dress rehearsals of "Tempo" and "Et pendant ce temps les Japonais travaillent" ("And meanwhile, the Japanese are working") were celebrated with great joy. At "Charlot roi des coquillages" ("Charlot, King of shellfish"), it was Denise Grey and the whole theatre group of the Karsenty-Herbert galas who enjoyed the party. The list goes on, endless and generously. The House of Bricout keeps alive a tradition as old as Champagne itself. The Champagne certainly owes its fame to its marvellous bubbles, but this fame would never have become global without the shine of the Paris Regency celebrations and these would never have had this shine without the ardour of the courageous Champagne wine-merchants.

Charles de Cazanove, an art of its own

The Épernay brand directed by Thierry Lombard has also initiated a policy of partnership with the arts, and in particular with the cinema. This started on the slopes of Val d'Isère with "Val Rock 89". It was the first of their successes. In May 1991, the House celebrated the 40th anniversary of the "Cahiers du Cinéma" (French cinema magazine). This took place at Cannes, and the cultured guests attending this memorable meal orientated the brand towards cinematographic quality. The Jean Vigo prize aims to reward the true cinematographic art, as preferred by film lovers.
		Jean-Pierre Mocky and Thierry Lombard at the film premiere of "Le mari de Léon" ("Léon's husband")

This prize encourages talent and generosity. The House chose to sponsor it and also contributed to the celebration of its tenth anniversary. Since then, the brand has played a key role at the Cannes Film Festival, where it has welcomed all of the important cinema stars at the "club azur" and on the beach of the Majestic Hotel. The Champagne Charles de Cazanove today enjoys a well-established reputation in the world of cinema.
      However, the House of Charles de Cazanove does not only wish to maintain or even increase its fame. It wishes to promote a certain "art de vivre", an art of its own. With this in mind, the brand has worked to link the great chefs with the stars of show business. After a gastronomic tour of France with the critic, Marc de Champerard, Thierry Lombard invited many great chefs to Cannes with the aim of bringing together these complementary skills, which embellish life. He also worked to increase the fame of Champagne and its people. Furthermore, in partnership with the Épernay town hall, the House invited the director Jean-Pierre Mocky to film for one week in the capital of the Champagne region. He then presented his film, "Le mari de Léon" at the Cannes Film Festival and showed it as a preview at the "Sparnaciens" on 1st June. Similarly, meetings were organised at Cannes and Avoriaz involving people from the worlds of cinema, journalism and Champagne. All of these actions could not fail to inspire a convivial spirit, which stimulates and embellishes life. "Art is an infinitely precious possession, a refreshing beverage" said Charles Baudelaire.