Champagne
The grapes Pinot noir, Pinot meunier, and Chardonnay are used to produce almost all Champagne. Small amounts of Pinot blanc, Pinot gris (called Fromenteau in Champagne), Arbane, and Petit Meslier are used as well.
Champagne became correlated with royalty in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The leading manufacturers made endeavors to associate their Champagnes with nobility through advertising, which led to its popularity among the emerging middle class.
Still, wines from the Champagne region were known before medieval times. The Romans were the first to plant vineyards in this area of northeast France, starting by the 5th century. Cultivation was initially slow due to the unpopular edict by Emperor Domitian that all colonial vines must be uprooted.
Sparkling wines are made worldwide, but many legal structures reserve the word Champagne exclusively for sparkling wines from the Champagne region, made by Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne regulations.
Champagne is also great with
Champagne Cocktail
A champagne cocktail is an alcoholic cocktail made with sugar, Angostura bitters, Champagne, brandy and a maraschino cherry as a garnish. A recipe for the cocktail appears as early as "Professor" Jerry Thomas' Bon Vivant's Companion (1862), which omits the brandy or cognac and is considered to be the "classic" American version. It is also one of the IBA official cocktails.
Old Cuban
The Old Cuban is an IBA official cocktail and is made with aged rum, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, mint leaves, and topped with champagne brut. The cocktail takes inspiration from the Mojito, but it features a few important tweaks that result in a unique flavor experience. The Old Cuban was created in 2001 by famed mixologist Audrey Saunders.
Savoy Affair
Savoy Affair is a cocktail made with champagne, peach brandy/brandy, strawberry liqueur, passionfruit juice, and lime juice. The cocktail was invented by Joe Gilmore at the Atlantic Hotel, in Hamburg, Germany.
Mimosa
A mimosa cocktail is composed of champagne (or other sparkling wine) and chilled citrus juice, usually orange juice unless otherwise specified. It is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute at brunch, at weddings, or as part of business or first class service on some passenger railways and airlines. The Mimosa was created around 1925 and named for a yellow-flowered plant.
Black Velvet
The Black Velvet has been around quite for a while. It was invetened in 1861 at Brooks’s Club in London to honor the passing of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. The dark beer added a sad note to the usually festive Champagne. It is supposed to symbolize the black armbands worn by mourners. It was said that "even the champagne should be in mourning." Today, the drink is not exclusive to mourning. The drink is easy to make event at home. Pour some Guinness into a glass, top it with Champagne, and that's all. This is the most common combination, but some choose to skip the Champagne and use hard cider. Both variants are great and it's fun to experiment. The black velvet is an interesting mixed drink that blends Champagne and dark beer in a single glass. One may think this an unlikely combination but it's quite good. The cocktail has been such a success over the years that it encouraged a few companies to bottle similar mixes over the years. Nevertheless, it's rare that these last long on the market because because the cocktail it's such an easy mix that anyone can pull off at home.
Chicago Cocktail
The Chicago Cocktail is a brandy-based mixed drink named after the city of Chicago, Illinois. It appeared in multiple cocktail manuals dating back to the 19th century. The main ingredients are brandy, triple sec, and bitters. Some versions do call for the Champagne to be added.
Russian Spring Punch
The Russian Spring Punch is a highball cocktail made with vodka, Crème de cassis, sugar syrup, and lemon juice. The cocktail was created in the 1980s by Dick Bradsell. Basically a spiked Kir Royale over ice. It is named for the russian vodka, and the Tom Collins, which is a spring drink.
French 75
French 75 is a cocktail made from gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. It is also called a 75 Cocktail, or in French simply a Soixante Quinze. The drink dates to World War I, and an early form was created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris—later Harry's New York Bar—by barman Harry MacElhone. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun.