Parts Most Frequently Used: Fermented Grape

Flavors/Temps: Bitter, Sweet, Warming

Caution: Overindulging can cause nausea, vomiting, and headaches. Not recommended during pregnancy.

History/Folklore: Wines from the Champagne region in France, where the beverage originated, date back to Medieval times and were largely an outgrowth of wine being poorly stored causing fermentation and sweetness. As sugar was introduced as a second phase of Champagne fermentation, the drink became even sweeter. These versions of Champagne were much sweeter than is currently popular.

Another “problem” was the creation of bottles that could withstand the pressures created during the fermentation process. Bottles would routinely pop open, destroying and spilling their contents, ruining over a year’s worth of hard efforts from the vineyards, through harvest to storage in the cellars.  These popping bottles are said to be the cause of the development of the first Champagnes and were known as “the devil’s wine.”

The oldest recorded sparkling wine is credited to the Benedictine monks in the Abbey near Carcassone in Southern France.

Royalty became associated with the production of Champagne in the 17th through 19th centuries, identifying the drink as a luxury beverage that was expensive and special.

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that Champagne slowed the removal of nitric acid from blood helping to lower blood pressure and prevent strokes.

Research by Dr. Jeremy Spencer, is showing that certain proteins in Champagne are beneficial for short-term memory and help support certain cognitive functions, as well. Three glasses a week were found to delay the onset of degenerative brain disorders such as dementia.

Used in skin products as a detoxifier, the tartaric acids and antioxidants in Champagne help even out skin tone and the antibacterial properties help prevent skin breakouts.