Champagne: Casters Liebart Cecile Pur Meunier

As a region, Champagne is divided into five areas of production: the Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne, in which Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier are grown for the production of the region's signature wine.

Compared with the rest of the world's successful wine-producing regions, Champagne lies the furthest from the equator, at 49°N. Usually this would be considered too far to fully ripen grapes; however, Champagne's continental climate ripens the fruit early and provides the perfect balance of sugar and acidity for producing quality sparkling wines. The method used to give the otherwise thin, acidic still wine its sparkle is a fascinating one, known as the 'traditional' or 'Champagne method'.