Head of Taittinger Champagne Says English Invented Sparkling Wine

The former United Kingdom interim program and strategy director of High Speed Rail 2 Ltd. (HS2), Patrick O'Connell holds the title of executive director of the Office of the Chief of Naval personnel of the U.S. Navy. Outside of his work with HS2 and the U.S. Navy, Patrick O'Connell enjoys diverse interests, including a love of fine French wine.

While the origins of Champagne, the sparkling wine typically made of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier grapes, remain unclear, the 17th century monk Dom Pierre Perignon is often credited with its invention. But in a recent interview with Le Figaro newspaper, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, the head of Taittinger Champagne, one of the most prestigious Champagne houses in the world, says he believes the English actually came up with it first. 

Mr Taittinger went on to posit that the English created Champagne by mistake when they left inexpensive white wines from France on the London docks, causing a second fermentation, which results in carbonation. He added that the English were also the first to create clarets from Burgundy, Bordeaux, and cognac. But despite the latest developments, the centuries-old mystery of Champagne's origin is unlikely to have come to an end.