champagne

Sparkling white wine invented by Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk, in 1668. It is made from a blend of grapes (pinot noir and chardonnay) grown in the Marne River region around Reims and Epernay, in Champagne, northeastern France. After a first fermentation, sugar and yeast are added to the still wine, which, when bottled, undergoes a second fermentation to produce the sparkle. Sugar syrup may be added to make the wine sweet (sec) or dry (brut).

Champagne has become a symbol of luxurious living and is used worldwide to celebrate special occasions. Increased demand has given rise to the production of similar wines outside France, in the USA, for example, and Spain. Although these wines imitate champagnes closely, they are referred to as méthode champenoise; only wines produced in the Champagne region of France can be termed ‘champagne’. The pop when a bottle is opened is due to the sudden release of pressure that allows the accumulated carbon dioxide to escape: a bottle may contain up to five times its volume in gas.

Champagne

Former province of northeast France, now part of the Champagne-Ardenne region. Its area today is covered by the départements of Marne, Haute-Marne, Aube, and Ardennes, and part of Seine-et-Marne, Meuse, Aisne, and Yonne. Its largest town was Reims.

History The province was ruled at one time by the Franks, and later by native princes, vassals of the French kings. In 1284 it passed to the French crown by the marriage of Philip IV to Joanna of Navarre. In the Middle Ages the fairs of Champagne were frequented by merchants from all over Europe. The commercial concept of credit reputedly began at these fairs.