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The vineyards of the Champagne region in France produce one of the most coveted of wines.

The bubbly, sparkling wines that are grown in the chalky, limestone rich soil of this area are allowed to use the name "Champagne" and no sparkling wine from another area can claim that prestigious designation.

Deciding which of the well known names to buy for your party or special occasion is much easier if you know a little about the wine and its history. How the grape vines that began growing in this region over a million years ago were brought to perfection as Champagne makes for a great story.

However, the real interest is drinking the results. The best way to decide which Champagne label to choose is to check with the experts, and you'll find a few of them offering their opinions just up ahead.

A glass of Champagne never tastes as wonderful as it does when you sip it in the tasting rooms of one of the great Champagne Houses. If you are planning a trip to France, the Champagne region is a short, and very pretty, train ride from Paris. Whether you visit Mumm, Moët & Chandon, Roederer, Taittinger or any of the Champagne Houses, a tour is fascinating and the tasting at the end is guaranteed to present you with several of the top champagnes.

The villages of the Champagne region also have magnificent architecture and delicious food to enjoy - as you sip. A tour of the wine cellars and an in-house tasting will save you from the fate of Lord Keynes, whose dying words were...

I wish I'd drunk more Champagne! ...

More information about Champagne wineries around the Web:

Le Champagne - Very professional official site of the Champagne vintners. There is a virtual tour of the vineyards of Champagne through the seasons where you can see the grapes emerge from winter sleep through harvesting, many videos and brochures, listing of the cellars that allow visitors and the major champagne houses, sections on how to taste and serve wine with many other links to tourists sites with events and information on the region.

The Wine Doctor - Champagne - Nice overview of champagne that starts with the grapes and walks you through the processes that make the finished product. Spotlights on some of the top houses include the origins of Roederer's Cristal and a good selection of tasting notes.

The World of Champagne - Complete with pictures of half-timbered houses and endless vistas of vines, this travel article on the Aube en Champagne in France introduces the region as well as the fine sparkling wines produced here.

The Allure of Aged Champagne - You may have heard that aging does not improve Champagne... and while this may be true in some cases, after you've read this article you may have a very different perspective on aged Champagnes.

Winebow Champagne and sparkling wine - A brief but very complete explanation of Champagne starts with the terroir and grapes and covers the process used to convert wines into Champagnes. This site also sells a selection of sparkling wines and Champagnes.

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also see --> Choosing & Shopping For Champagne

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