Celebrate with Champagne

Monk Dom Pérignon is credited with inventing champagne in the 1600s. The story goes that when making wine, he didn't finish the process and corked the bottles prematurely. Months later bottles began bursting and thus, champagne was born.





Facts

* Champagne comes only from France's northernmost wine growing Champagne area.
* The word Champagne comes from Late Latin campania, flat open country.
* Brut is a dry champagne and Extra Dry is actually less dry than brut. Sec is sweet, and demi-sec even more so.
* Champagne is more costly than other wines because there are so many steps in its production.
* Champagne should be stored on its side in darkness; sunlight can spoil it.
* It can be recorked and kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.