Champagne is a sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wines are Champagne. The name refers to a small district in the North of France where winemakers transformed their rather thin and acidic wines into a worldwide phenomenon. The crisp, bubbly, effervescent, and refreshing character of sparkling Champagne is now widely emulated throughout the world. At the top end, however, nothing beats great Champagne. The down side? The Champenois know it, and charge accordingly. Nonetheless, it is perhaps the world's most jovial splurge wine.
