Every time you open a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine, you might give a short look at the little iron plate at the top of a wire, which holds the cork. Few people know that the construction is called «muselet» and its story began in the distant 19th century.
Not everyone is aware of how much work was put into it and how many people contributed to the creation of the champagne pop sound so indispensable for every festive occasion.
The history of the wirehood for champagne begins with the ambitious businesswoman Madame Clicquot. She was widowed at the age of 27 and inherited vineyards and wine production of her husband. In those days there was a belief that a woman cannot even come close to the wine, and the drink she touches during production will instantly become vinegar. However, the young businesswoman did not belong to those who believed in fiction and decided to start production modernization.
As the legend says, one day Madame Cliquot pulled out the wire from her corsage and fastened the cork on the bottle of her champagne with it. Thus, she made an innovation in the world of the wirehood – it began to be made of wire. At first, different materials were used to keep a cork inside the bottle: from a cord to wooden dowels, but it was not always suitable – rats, which lived in the wine cellars, gnawed the rope.
It is hard to say for sure who invented the wirehood. But it was patented by a champagne merchant Adolphe Jacquesson in 1844. He filed a patent for inserting a tin-plate between a cork and a wire that looked like a modern-looking wirehood for champagne. Since then, the wirehood and a top-disk have become a mandatory element in the production of champagne and sparkling wines, and an interesting item for collecting.
An important breakthrough of the XX century was the equipment automation for the wirehood production. Cortellazzi brothers developed the first semi-automatic machine, which was able to make all the components of the wirehood for champagne from a single piece of metal wire.
Despite the fact, that many inventions and discoveries have been made in the production of wire products since then, only a few companies in the world are able to produce the wirehood for a bottle of sparkling wine and champagne.
We are one of them. Having analyzed the world experience in the production of the wirehood for champagne, we are actively working on innovative solutions and offer our customers a high-quality product combined with quality service at an affordable price.
We produce wirehoods for sparkling wine considering wishes of our customers. The main types:
Depending on the wishes and specifics of the customer’s product, the wirehood on the bottle is made with and without a top-disk, the wire can be both lacquered and galvanized. We offer a variety of techniques for decorating the top disk and can turn wirehood production into art. Everyone who opens your bottle next time will be curious to see the jewel on top of it.
As the Director of the Champagne Bureau UK, Françoise Peretti, said
«The wirehood isn’t merely an advantage, it’s a necessity, without the wirehood there wouldn’t be any Champagne.”
Our specialists are always ready to answer your questions and provide you with a professional assistance in any convenient way for you.
