Did You Know? — Cristal is easily recognized by its clear, "crystal" bottle, anti-UV cellophane wrapper and gold label. A typical price in America is $350 a bottle.
	Did You Know? — It's widely accepted that the smaller the bubbles the better the Champagne.

Champagne

• Champagne is a sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle secondary fermentation of wine to effect carbonation.
  
• The first commercial sparkling wine was produced in the Limoux area of Languedoc about 1535. Around 1700, sparkling Champagne, as we know it today, was born.
  
• Other sparkling wines not from Champagne sometimes use the term "sparkling wine" on their label, while most countries have labeling laws preventing use of the word Champagne on any wine not from that region, some — including the United State — permit wine producers to use the name "Champagne" as a semi-generic name.
  
• Current U.S regulations require that what is defined as a semi-generic name (Champagne) shall only appear on a wine's label if the appellation of the actual place of origin appears, in order to not mislead drinkers.
  
• Grapes must be the white Chardonnay, the black Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier (a few very rare other grapes that were historically important are allowed, but very unusual).
  
• Champagne is typically light in color even if it is produced with red grapes, because the juice is extracted from the grapes using a gentle process that minimizes the amount of time the juice spends in contact with the skins, which is what gives red wine its color.
  
• Champagne is mostly fermented in two sizes of bottles, standard bottles (750 cubic liter) and magnums (1.5 liter). In general, magnums are thought to be higher quality, as there is less oxygen in the bottle — and the volume to surface area favors the creation of appropriately-sized bubbles.
  
• Champagne is always served cold, and is best drunk at a temperature approximately 43 to 48 degrees F (7 to 9 degrees C). Often the bottle is chilled in a bucket of ice and water before and after opening.
  
• Research has noted that the high amount of the antioxidant polyphenols in sparkling wine can help prevent deterioration of brain cells due to oxidative stress.