This Champagne Is Only Given Out At The Tour De France

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When it comes to pillars of French culture known around the world, beyond buttery baked goods, fragrant plates of escargot, and a certain famous Parisian tower, it does not get more iconic than two of the country's most well-known cultural exports: Champagne and the Tour de France.

So, it naturally made sense for one of the nation's venerable Champagne houses to create a special blend available only to the crème de la crème of this year's Tour de France attendees in celebration of the country's most famed sporting event.

Undeniably the most prestigious and well-known cycling event in the world, the Tour de France, which has been held annually since 1903, is a 23-day bike race that winds throughout roads spanning the entirety of France. This year, select guests of the event will have the chance to sip on a one-of-a-kind Champagne blend made exclusively for the race.

To commemorate this year's sporting event, which kicked off in Brest on June 26, Champagne Castelnau, a winery settled on 900 hectares of vineyards in Reims, France — the homeland of Champagne — created an ultra-exclusive special edition blend to be served in the V.I.P. areas of all arrival and departure villages along the cyclists' route.

Named the Champagne Castelnau cuvée Véloce, this specialty blend was created by Champagne Castelnau to commemorate their 10-year partnership with the Amaury Sport Organisation (the organizers of the Tour de France) as the official Champagne sponsor of the famed bike race, according to Food & Wine.

According to a brand representative, the name Véloce (which fittingly translates to "swift," "speedy," or "rapid" in English) was chosen "in admiration of the sheer velocity that the astounding athletes reach throughout the course" (via Food & Wine).

By Gillie Houston
07-21-2021
Source and complete article by: mashed.com