Russian emperor Peter the Great took it to bed with him every night, and Casanova considered it essential for seduction. It’s Champagne of course, and there is probably no wine in the world that lends itself to so much poetry or hyperbole. ‘In victory you deserve it, in defeat you need it,’ said Napoleon; Coco Chanel declared, ‘I drink Champagne on only two occasions: when I’m in love, and when I’m not’; and Winston Churchill, who famously claimed that after drinking it ‘the wits become more nimble,’ made this rallying cry during World War I, ‘Remember, gentlemen, it’s not just France we’re fighting for, it’s Champagne.’