It is rumoured that a monk, Dom Pérignon, in the village of Hautvillers in the Champagne region, northern France, first invented champagne in 1668.

Champagne is made from a combination of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Only champagne made from the Champagne region is allowed to be called 'champagne' on its label

Méthode champenoise is the process of creating the bubbles; adding a solution of sugar and yeast to wine creates a second in-bottle fermentation.

Vintage champagne comes from the crop of a single year. A vintage bottle, therefore, always has a date on its label.

A champagne house will only produce vintage champagne from very good years, and will typically release it after about six years. A bottle should last about 20 years if stored correctly.

Non-vintage champagne is blended from the crop of different years; therefore there will be no date on the label. It can vary in quality; good non-vintage champagne demonstrates the skills of the cellar-master as a blend of a consistently high standard is difficult to achieve.

The sign of good champagne is a consistent stream of small bubbles that create a light froth around the edge of the surface. This is called the 'mousse'.

See Serving Champagne

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