What can be the best link between History, Heritage, heraldry, city who french kings were crown, Champagne region and champagne wine ? Evident : sighthounds dogs breeds !
PLACE OF SIGHTHOUNDS IN HISTORY AND STORY OF SIGHTHOUNDS IN CHAMPAGNE REGION
Sighthound, “lévrier” and the female in french “levrette”, a royal dog, elegant, bubbly and above all present over the siecles, witness and partner, fellow of kings and aristocrats. (Those dogs are in the group number 10 who classify dogs breeds).
The sighthounds are shown in Art on differents materials : paintings, frescoes, statues, potteries, tapestries, change, dishes, vases, and are loyal figure on coat of arms for nobles families or villages and cities.
Greyhound or whippet also there, fellow after the death, like this one on the tombstone wanted by Anne de Bretagne for her parents, François II and Marguerite de Foix. Anne de Bretagne one of those personnalities who played a big part to the passion in France the sighthounds.
Xavier Przezdziecki’s great book, is a bible about the place of sighthounds in History « Le destin des lévriers » (translation : “sighthounds destiny”), book printed by Edica’s editions.
The sources are extremely varied and spread during siecles. It’s the subjet of varied collections on the account of Champagne Damien-Buffet on Pinterest :
- Posters, paintings, culture, heritage including some sighthounds found by surfing on the Web and collected on Pinterest
- Coats of arms with greyhound or whippet found on the Web to track them in heraldry and creating a geographical card of the villages having a sighthound in their coat of arms
All of it till the official opening of the royal collection of champagne’s caps in tribute to those dogs breeds on bottles caps of champagnes of Damien-Buffet house. They’ll like that preside at the start of sparkling of those wines of celebrations, party, feasts, all around the world. It’s the place who seems to be there place, showing them at the best place : around family, events of life and happiness.
TRIBUTE TO SIGHTHOUNDS IN CHAMPAGNE
The theme about the place of sighthounds in History has been chosen by Champagne Damien-Buffet House, as a tribute to those breeds of special dogs. It became self-evident :
Reims, city of coronation of 35 french kings, situated at 8 kms of our winery in Sacy. The cultural heritage of the city shows some sighthounds on tapestries, and some can be seen on the renovated pediment of the cathedral. They were there in front of this cathedral and historical monuments during kings coronations.
Some whippets or greyhounds are also included more well known tapestries than those of Palais du Tau in Reims, like the 6 taspestries of « La Dame à la Licorne » at Cluny’s museum.
or in Bayeux the tapestry named la « Reine Mathilde » or the « Grand-Britain conquest» by Guillaume the Conqueror.
List of 126 coat of arms of villages in France shown geographically, showing a sighthound (greyhound, whippet) who are named “lévrier” or “levrette” for the female in french. The sighthound is in heraldry the symbol of loyalty.
Many families from aristocracy in Europ included also a sighthound in their coat of arms. But for them, sorry it’s impossible, even if it’ll be interesting to see it near the villages’ coat of arms and known like that if some regions, some historical periods or facts are part of the decision of this choice of symbol.
COLLECTION OF CHAMPAGNE CAPS WITH SIGHTHOUNDS
Champagne Damien-Buffet’s House has now 12 classy and elegants ambassadors, 9 whippets, 2 galgos and 1 greyhound. A royal collection numbered from 1 to 12 for the 12 differents dogs and on the reverse of the caps the name of the dogs, the breed, the country they come from. All of them are with the wire cage on each bottle, of all the cuvees of champagnes premier cru (except for LElixir who is a limited edition).
Those sighthounds ambassadors has been chosen by drawing lot after a photos contest who 5 countries took part of it (France, Switzerland, UK, Czech Republic, USA) in Autumn 2016.
It’s the time of an annual cycle of the vineyard, from the change of the look of the bottles, beginning of wine tourism animations, after renovation of the farm of the family for work and welcome, shop spaces, , changing for a responsive design bilingual website, with blog and social medias profiles and content. All of it rewarded by the french quality certification label Vineyard and Discoveries.
Since the official opening of the royal collection of champagnes’ caps of 12 whippets, greyhound or galgos, you can now buy all the bottles and cuvees of champagnes DAMIEN-BUFFET’s House who have them all (excep l’Elixir, limited to 250 bottles by year), and collect the caps bottle after bottle with the discovering of which dog ambassador is on the top of each bottle of champagne, or you can buy directly the caps collection if you are collector, or if you would like it as a gift for someone who is collector or like the dogs.
OFFICIAL OPENING CELEBRATION OF THE SIGHTHOUNDS CAPS COLLECTION
The official opening of the cuvees of champagnes DAMIEN-BUFFET, with those breeds on the caps on top of the bottles with the wire cage, and the reward of the winners of the photos contest, who was done in autumn 2016, were part of the central programme of the 2017 occasion of the global Champagne Day (click here to see the photos album)
NB : Champagne Day, it’s the third Friday each october all around the world. The beginning was in USA like a pre-diner shared through social medias with photos or videos of the tasting of champagne. The Champagne region organize his 8 occasion in Aube and in Sacy with Champagne Damien-Buffet’s House since 2016.
Charles Palmer and his family, guests of honor for Champagne Day in Sacy on 20/10/2017, winemakers of english sparkling wines in Sussex, Charles Palmer Vineyards, through the story of their family coat of arms who it has a greyhound on it and the sharing of their wines, drawed a parallel with the tasting of cuvees of champagnes Damien-Buffet. All of it contributed to the open-mindedness like that sighthounds give us the example with their character joyfull and sociable.
It’s crossing the spirit of Mission and actions of « Hillsides, Houses and Cellard of Champagne » who organize some reconciliations stays. Champagne region, for this file, entered in the list of World Heritage since the 4/7/2015. Reims, Unesco’s city and each of all the 320 villages in Champagne region are involved in wine tourism and for doing better in Champagne AOC area .
The association Soligalgos is very active, to save and rescue some galgos in Spain, and in add during historical médieval reconstruction (fêtes johanniques in Reims, and also during the celebration of Jeanne d’Arc in Orléans, and for the event around ducales de Guise). Those actions are exactly in the thematic de of the place of sighthounds dogs in History.
The President, Muriel Douheret, accepted to participate to Champagne Day in Sacy (journée mondiale du Champagne in french), with around ten members costumed, with galgos dogs. It’ helped to show the story of those breeds and the respect we have to have to those dogs.
WALK WITH THE DOGS LOVERS AND CHAMPAGNE LOVERS, BETWEEN SACY’S VINEYARD AND THE FOREST OF NATURAL REGIONAL PARK OF MONTAGNE-DE-REIMS
The first pleasant walk was on the terroir of Sacy on 21/10/2017, the day after Champagne Day. The walkers, hikers and families with dogs discovered the natural and beautiful view between vines of Sacy and the forest of Natural Regional Park of Montagne-de-Reims.
All people were happy of this moment between nature and tasting, from the vineyard to the wine, quiet walk with family, or friends, with the doggies. Why stop there, the plan of the circle for the walk who is an hour long or a bit more is possible and done by everybody.
NB : click to see the photos album of this first walk between dogs lovers and champagne lovers in Sacy
For all who’ll be interested in this kind of walk, animation, contact Champagne DAMIEN-BUFFET by phone or mail, your need and question will be carefully considered. For example if you would like to organize a walk or a tour in nature around Sacy, or come to taste the wines during a journey or a morning, or if would prefer some things for adults and some for children at our winery and around, all of it shall be possible but we need some details and dates to organize all for the best.
Véronique, Henry DAMIEN and their children
Welcome to the winery of Champagne DAMIEN-BUFFET’s House
12 Châtillon’s street
51500 Sacy, France
Phone or short message : +33 (0)3 26 05 98 17 ou +33 6 08 93 66 87
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