Champanhes

Champagne, a historic wine and the elected nectar of royalty.Since the dawn of Christianity, before the Middle Ages, wine was consecrated and used to celebrate the Eucharist. The vineyards were then entirely in the hands of the monasteries. So it was that, in 496 AD, this traditional use of wine, combined with the particular location of the Champagne vineyards, secured Champagne's place in history. On Christmas Day of that year, the Frankish warrior Clovis was baptized in Reims Cathedral and crowned the first king of France. The bishop who anointed Clovis was Saint Rémi, himself from a village surrounded by vineyards not far from what is now Epernay. And the wines used at the Consecration were Champagne wines.

All over the world, heroes big and small celebrate their exploits with champagne. The liberal spraying of champagne has become a tradition on every podium in motorsport, bathing winners and spectators alike in an abundance of bubbles. In 1980, solo transatlantic rower Gérard d'Aboville opened a bottle of champagne after 72 days at sea drinking nothing but water.

Champagne is also a big sponsor of film festivals and other cultural and sporting events. Champagne is how we celebrate life's finest moments. Birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, New Year's Eve – whatever the celebration, it has to be Champagne.