Since its beginnings with the Romans, Champagne has been known as the beverage of royalty, and to this day it is the world’s most iconic sparkling wine. It is extremely important to the Champagne region (and indeed to France itself) that ONLY sparkling wine from the Champagne region and made in the méthode champenoise may be called Champagne. This distinction has been fought for overtime, and today is guarded with all the force of the law and the immense French pride in this treasure of a wine region.
The famous mineral-rich soils and relatively cool climate of this legendary region help to produce perfectly balanced sparkling wines of all styles, from blends or single varietal wines of the three principal grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Historically, several large houses have dominated Champagne production, but devotees of the bubbles know to look for the names of the smaller, family run houses who have been producing impeccably terroir-driven Champagnes year in and year out for centuries.