What I Learned:
Champagne can only come from Champagne, the wine region, about 90 miles from Paris. In spite of its proximity to “gay Paris,” champagne did not enjoy great fame until fairly recently. Although grapes were cultivated in the region as early as Roman times, the often cold, foggy climate worked to ensure that grape ripening was not consistent from year to year. Hence the wine was not always good, or available.
At the turn of the 20th century, what constituted the champagne producing area of Champagne was a contentious question. And in 1911, it provoked massive riots. At issue was the right of the wine-makers of the southern Champagne region, in the department of Aube, to use the champagne appellation for the sparkling wines made from their grapes. It wasn’t until 1927, that this district, known as the Cote des Bars, finally gained Champagne appellation status.