As far away as America, “the great comet was attracting all eyes,” and one man who saw it later recalled “how many superstitious terrors it gave rise to.” Throughout the Champagne, the rural people whispered that it was a portent of great change and of the fall of empire. In homage to a perfect harvest, winemakers abandoned their own trademarks and branded their corks with stars, the mark of the Vin de la Comète.
