Is Prosecco the same as Champagne? No – and here’s why it matters
Prosecco and Champagne are both sparkling, both come in a fancy bottle, and both make an appearance at celebrations. So people often use the names interchangeably. But they are not the same thing – not even close – and once you understand the difference, you’ll never mix them up again. The short answer No, Prosecco…
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4 min read
Why is Champagne so expensive? The real reasons behind the price
You pick up a bottle of Champagne and notice the price tag is five, ten, sometimes twenty times more than a perfectly good sparkling wine from Spain or Italy. What is going on? Is it just marketing, or is there something real behind those numbers? The answer, it turns out, is both – and understanding…
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3 min read
Rosé Champagne: everything you need to know
Pink Champagne turns heads at every table – but most people have no idea why it’s pink, or how it actually tastes different from regular Champagne. If you’ve ever stood in a wine shop wondering whether to reach for the rosé, this is for you. What is rosé Champagne? Rosé Champagne is simply Champagne that…
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8 min read
Does Champagne go bad?
The short answer is yes — Champagne can go bad. But “bad” means different things depending on whether the bottle is sealed or open, how it’s been stored, and what kind of Champagne it is. Most Champagne that people encounter isn’t dangerous to drink even after it’s past its prime. What changes is the experience:…
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6 min read
Is André Champagne real Champagne? And what are the real André houses?
Search for “André Champagne” and you’ll land on two very different things: a budget American sparkling wine that millions of people grew up with, and a handful of genuine Champagne houses from France carrying the same name. The confusion is understandable. The difference matters. This guide covers all of them — what each André is,…
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9 min read
Why Dom Pérignon is so expensive?
Dom Pérignon regularly sells for $200 to $350 a bottle, and that’s before you get to the extended-aged Plénitude releases, which push into the thousands. For a lot of people, that price raises an obvious question: why? What makes this particular bottle so much more expensive than most other Champagnes? The answer isn’t one thing.…
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8 min read
From vinegar to potato chips: 10 foods with a taste of Champagne
Champagne is usually poured into a glass. But it turns out the world of food has found plenty of other ways to put Champagne on the menu. There is Champagne vinegar in salad dressings, Champagne jelly on a cheese board, Champagne mustard, chocolates, gummies and even potato chips inspired by the flavors of bubbly. Some…
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5 min read
Best champagne for mimosas: what to buy, what to skip, and the perfect ratio
A good mimosa starts with good Champagne – not the most expensive bottle on the shelf, but not just any fizz either. The right Champagne changes how the whole drink tastes. After visiting Champagne houses and tasting our way through more brunch tables than we can count, we’ve formed a very clear view on which…
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4 min read
Where to drink Champagne in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is famous for Altbier. Its Altstadt — nicknamed the longest bar in the world — packs around 260 pubs, bars and restaurants into a compact stretch of old town streets. But there’s another side to this city, and it’s considerably more interesting for Champagne lovers. Beyond the traditional breweries, Düsseldorf has a strong wine…
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14 min read
Inside Champagne Pommery: 18 kilometres of cellars, chalk sculptures and the woman who made Champagne dry
Some Champagne Houses take you underground to show you where their bottles age. Pommery takes you into a piece of Reims history that happens to be filled with Champagne. We visited Domaine Pommery for a private tour led by Pommery winemaker Baptiste Chazeaud, who took us far beyond a standard cellar visit. We walked through…
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5 min read
Find best champagne bars and restaurants in Dublin
Dublin is, unambiguously, a Guinness city. A whiskey city. A city where the pub is the social infrastructure and the pint is the default. None of that is a cliché — it’s just true, and it’s a big part of why Dublin is worth visiting. But it has made people miss something that’s been quietly…
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6 min read
Find best champagne bars and restaurants in San Francisco
San Francisco sits at the edge of the most famous wine country in America. Napa is an hour north. Sonoma is even closer. You’d think Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon would have the whole conversation to themselves here. They don’t. The city has developed a wine bar culture with a distinctly French soul — a cluster…
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6 min read
Find best champagne bars and restaurants in Houston
Houston doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Ask most people to name the best food cities in America and they’ll say New York, Chicago, San Francisco. Houston rarely comes up: which is strange, because it’s one of the most culinarily diverse cities on the planet, home to more than 150 nationalities, a James Beard-loaded restaurant…
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5 min read
Find best champagne bars and restaurants in New York City
New York City doesn’t need a case made for it as a Champagne destination. The city has more world-class restaurants, more legendary hotel bars and more dedicated Champagne spots than almost anywhere else on earth. The question isn’t whether you can find exceptional Champagne here — it’s knowing where to start. We’ve been building our…
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4 min read
Where to drink Champagne in Frankfurt
Frankfurt is known for Apfelwein, tart fermented apple wine served in ribbed glasses from a stoneware Bembel. It’s as local as a drink can be, and the city’s traditional taverns in Sachsenhausen are a genuine part of the culture here. But Frankfurt also has a strong restaurant and hotel bar scene, an international business crowd…
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9 min read
Besserat de Bellefon: a Champagne House to discover in Épernay
If you are walking around Épernay and looking for somewhere to stop for Champagne, Besserat de Bellefon is a place worth knowing. The Champagne House has been part of the region’s story since 1843, when it was founded in Aÿ. Today, Besserat de Bellefon is based in Épernay, where the Maison has created something that…
