10 Things to Know About Champagne

5 Written by Abby on February 19, 2010 – 10:30 am

When it comes to champagne, it’s usually only broken out for a party or milestone, but food and drink is meant to be enjoyed whenever the mood hits.  So if you’re having a good day, why not uncork a bottle of champagne and celebrate.  Life is too short not to.  On that note, here are 10 Things to Know About Champagne.

True Blue 1: Wine can only be labeled “champagne” if it is made in the Champagne region of northeastern France.

Quick! Duck! A cork leaves the champagne bottle at a velocity of 38-40mph but can pop out as fast as 100 mph!

True Blue 2: To be called “champagne,” it must be made only from the Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, or Chardonnay grapes which grow in the Champagne region.

Monk-ey Business: Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Hautvillers, is considered to have invented champagne. He allowed the carbon dioxide to build up in the fermentation process, thus creating bubbles.

True Blue 3: True “champagne”, as opposed to other sparkling wines has to have gotten its bubbles by undergoing the fermentation process twice: once in barrels and again in bottles. Champagne can be produced elsewhere, as long as credit it given to the “methode champenoise” on the label.

Caviar Dreams and Champagne Baths: The famous Marilyn Monroe is said to have taken a bath in bubbly. It took 350 bottles to fill the tub!

Designated Driver, Please? The world’s largest champagne glass, unveiled at a festival in Spoleto, Italy, stands nearly 7 feet tall, and can hold the equivalent of 22 regular bottles (558 ounces) of champagne. That’s a lot of bubbly!

Slow and Easy: According to Janis Lightner of the Miramonte Winery in Temecula, California, if you drink champagne too fast, you will swallow all the bubbles and they will go into your bloodstream too quickly – which for many of us results in a headache (or getting drunk way too fast). This can be avoided by taking small sips and letting the bubbles dissipate in your mouth before you swallow. Try it! You will prolong the enjoyment of your champagne, and you’ll feel much better tomorrow!

Under Pressure (Literally): The pressure in a bottle of champagne is 90 pounds per square inch about three times that in an automobile tire.

It’s All About the Cup Size: Legend has it that the champagne “coupe” (a shallow, broad-rimmed goblet) was modeled in the shape of Marie Antoinette’s breast, using wax moulds.