Champagne is a world renowned sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle secondary fermentation of the wine to produce carbon dioxide, which creates the tiny bubbles found in the sparkling wine. Champagne is produced entirely within the Champagne region in the north east of France, hence the name.
There are three primary grape varieties used in the creation of Champagne, which include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Champagne first became world renowned due to its connection with the anointment of French kings. Monarchs and sovereigns across Europe spread the word of a unique sparkling wine from Champagne, which enhance the drinks association with wealth, power and luxury. In addition, the term champagne is protected by treaties, national law and quality-control/consumer protection related local and international regulations, which restrict the use of the term Champagne to sparkling wine made solely in the champagne region of France. As we can see, not only was champagne associated with quality and luxury in the past, but even today the laws that protect it show the drink to still be held in high regard.
When was champagne invented?
There are many stories of how and when champagne was first discovered. One famous story concludes that a French Benedictine monk, named Dom Pérignon came across the method of making champagne in the 17th Century, after a long experimentation with the fermentation process and white wines. In the past and even today, leading producers of champagne devote considerable energy in creating a history and identity for their luxury sparkling wine, by associating it and themselves with nobility and royalty. Through advertising and packaging they sought to connect Champagne with high luxury, big celebrations and rites of passage. Their efforts coincided with an emerging middle class that was looking for ways to spend its money on symbols of upward mobility, and so this is how champagne has become the world renowned drink it is known as today, with brands such as
Dom Perignon,
Moet et Chandon as well as
Veuve Clicquot and people giving them as gifts in various forms for a variety of special occasions and celebrations.
Date posted: 26/03/2010 
