When German-born Florens-Louis Heidsieck realized in 1777 that he had fallen in love not only a French woman, Agathe Perthois, but also Champagne, he set his sights on creating a “wine that smiles.” His perseverance paid off: eight years later, he founded Heidsieck&Cie, married Agathe, and charmed the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, with his first cuvée. By 1815, Heidsieck had welcomed his nephew, Christian, and cousin Henri-Guillaume Piperto his Champagne house. The young pair were aggressive in growing their Champagne’s reputation beyond France. When Florens-Louis passed in 1828, they picked up the mantle, having created an international client base that included 14 royal and imperial courts. But when Christian suddenly passed in 1835, Henri-Guillaume was faced with the possibility of the House’s run coming to an end – that is, until he and Christian’s widow fell in love and married. A new romance, and the House of Piper-Heidsieck, were born. In addition to being the darling of royalty, Piper-Heidsieck later became a favorite of the artistic community. As a result, the House has long been associated with international film festivals, andis a significant benefactor to historic film preservation. Piper-Heidsieck produces close to 5 million bottles per annum. While most of their non-vintage Champagne blends all three grapes using a non-malolactic, low-dosage method, some of the newer vintage offerings feature Chardonnay and Pinot Noir alone. What remains constant, however, is that all are sublime, and feature the touch of romance that first sparked the House over 200 years ago.