Champagne is seen as a celebratory drink and often associated with luxury and wealth. Although the production methods between sparkling wine and champagne differ slightly the main distinction between the two is the place of origin. In order to be labelled champagne, it must come from the Champagne region in northern France. It’s not just the region which decides whether it becomes a champagne, the The Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne have other regulations on how it’s made too. The term champagne is legally protected and is recognised within the European Union as well as several other large wine producers around the world. Certain sparkling wines approved before 2006 in America use the term champagne on their label.
Like all wine related drinks, the different tastes have different names and vary from being sweet to dry. Brut is the driest of champagnes and it’s also the most universal and contains the least amount of sugar whereas demi-sec is the sweetest. Although wine glasses are more common, the champagne flute is specifically designed for this prestigious drink. There are three different grapes The Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne stipulates can be used in the making of champagne. The two different black grapes produce the pinot noir and the pinot meunier and the white grape produces the chardonnay.
There are several myths that surround both the production and the actual champagne glasses. Dom Perignon is often assumed to be the first person to add the bubbles to champagne. There are several different stories as to how champagne came about. It’s commonly accepted that Benedictine Monks first created sparkling wine over one hundred years before Dom Perignon was born. Perignon’s did have a lot to do with champagnes development. Perignon made great improvements to the fermentation process. Another quaint myth associated with the consumption of champagne is the shape of the traditional champagne coupe which is a more bowel shaped champagne flute. Marie Antoinette is said to have has the champagne coupe modelled on her left breast. These rumours cannot be true as champagne and its consumption were already invented over one hundred years before she was born, but they add to the air of the drink being for the privileged and wealthy.
