6 things you need to know about Champagne

Champagne is actually a place - in France! The good ol' city of alcohol and love. It has become a famed wine region in the north east of Paris thanks to its chalk soil, harsh climate and sparse sunshine. The combination of these 3 factors makes is the recipe for the most celebrated bottle of bubbly.

Champagne is made up of three grapes; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. The blend of these three grapes are what gives Champagne its delicate, aromatic taste.

As with any wine, champagne should be served ice-cold. Serve Champagne at approximately 47-50°F, in order to truly taste the rich flavours and the tantalizing aromas of your bottle of bubbly. You can either let your bottle sit in an ice bucket for approximately 30 minutes before consumption or refrigerate for 4 hours.

Did you know that the act of popping a bottle of champagne, shaking it and spraying it on other people stems from a tradition back in 1967. When Dan Gurney, a race car driver won the 1967 Le Mans endurance race, he shook a bottle of Moet and sprayed it over everyone in the area. Thus began, the tradition that is so common at the end of almost every car race, especially with Formula 1 races.

There are different types of champagnes from Brut, Demi and Rose. You can order any of them online from WineWorld if you're facing a dire need for some bubbly in your life! Brut is essentially dry, i.e., very little sugar is added to the beverage as compared to Demi, where there's a noticeable quantity of sugar from the grapes. This sugar is generally referred to as residual sugar. Rose champagne is made by either adding a dash of red wine or allowing the skins of red grapes to come in contact with the clear champagne.