Champagne Overview

Brothers, brothers, come quickly! I am drinking stars! —Dom Pérignon

Associated with both sophisticated celebration and Dionysian revelry, the fizzy pop of a champagne cork always hits a seductive note. While champagne is reserved for special occasions in most of the world, in Champagne itself bubbly flows constantly, dripping with glamor and luxury.

According to European law, the word “champagne” may be applied only to wines made from grapes from this region and produced according to a rigorous, time-honored method. The process involves the blending of three varieties of grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay), two stages of fermentation, and frequent realignment of the bottles by remueurs (highly trained bottle-turners who can turn up to 50,000 bottles per day) to facilitate the removal of sediment. So fiercely guarded is the name that when Yves St-Laurent created a new perfume called “Champagne,” the powerful maisons sued to force him to change it—and won. Though at first Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk, had to convince his compatriots to try his sweet nectar, few modern-day visitors need additional incentive to come to Champagne to see—and taste—the méthode champénoise. Travelers visit the region’s caves (wine cellars), at their best in lavish towns like Reims and Épernay . Even local cuisine tends to center on the drink, as most regional dishes are drenched in champagne-based sauce.

The grape-fed high life may buoy Champagne economically, but the smaller towns surrounding the vineyards also have distinct character. Come to the region for the giddy luxury of its namesake beverage and the boisterous joie de vivre of its signature towns, but don’t miss out on the historical landmarks: the grand Cathédrale de Notre Dame in Reims , traditional site of French coronations since its construction in 1311, and the ornate 18th-century architecture of the self-satisfied champagne maisons of Épernay .