Wine lovers may argue over Bordeaux vs. Burgundy, Napa vs. Sonoma, or even cabernet sauvignon vs. merlot. But when it comes to Champagne, there is no argument. Almost everyone, it seems, loves Champagne.

Genuine Champagne comes only from the strictly defined Champagne region, 90 miles northeast of Paris. Champagne producers wage an unrelenting war against any and all winemakers outside their region who try to usurp the Champagne name. Grapes have been grown and wine produced there for 2,000 years, but what we think of as Champagne can be traced only as far back as the 17th century and the development of the cork, which captured fermentation gases.

Champagne’s popularity is largely based on its reputation as a luxury product. Champagne houses like Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot vie to publicize their association with high society and exclusive sports like polo and yachting. One house, Pol Roger, even produced a special bottle size, the imperial pint, exclusively for Winston Churchill, who drank Champagne for breakfast and responded by naming his favorite horse Pol Roger.

The Champagne producers created and maintain that luxury image even though their wine is not necessarily expensive. Krug Champagne may sell for $250 a bottle but dozens of excellent Champagnes retail for under $35, appreciably less than a moderately priced Bordeaux or Napa Valley cabernet.

Nor is Champagne in any way exclusive. Upward of 300 million bottles of genuine Champagne are produced annually, and the industry is pressing the French government to expand the 71,000-acre Champagne region to meet the swelling demand from newly affluent markets in Eastern Europe and Asia.

While the new markets, Russia in particular, have served to keep Champagne prices higher than they might otherwise be, the growing demand has led to the addition of perhaps hundreds of new brands to wine shops’ Champagne shelves.

Major names dominate: the LVMH group, which includes Moët & Chandon, Mercier, Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot; Lanson International, which includes Besserat de Bellefon and dozens of smaller labels; Vranken Monopole, Laurent-Perrier and Allied Domecq (owner of Mumm and Perrier Jouet), which together account for well over a third of all Champagne production. But many unfamiliar names, small producers that used to sell their wine to the major houses or confined themselves to France, now are going directly to the retail market. Their products usually sell for a few dollars less, and a lot of their Champagne is good.

According to Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, there are 19,000 grape growers in Champagne , of whom about 5,000 sell Champagne under their own name. There are, the encyclopedia claims, more than 12,500 Champagne brands.

Champagne should be served quite cold, preferably between 38 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold dulls flavor, so a cheaper bottle can be served colder than a more complex wine. The best Champagnes, including vintage bottles and blanc de blancs — which is made entirely from white chardonnay grapes — should never be served at less than 45 degrees Fahrenheit. A good Champagne should not be chilled for more than two hours before serving; longer chilling can dull flavor and bouquet.

The ideal Champagne glass is the tall, slender flute. Its relatively small surface permits only a few bubbles at a time to escape. It also concentrates the wine’s bouquet. So pour a glass — and cheers!

Article by  Frank Prial