Thank you, Pierre Pérignon (aka Dom) for discovering champagne on this day in 1693.

According to legend, the Benedictine monk/hero was wine-making and couldn’t get rid of  pesky, unwanted bubbles.  When he tasted his accidental creation he reportedly said, “Come quickly! I am drinking the stars!”

Since then, champagne has been the gold standard for living large.  The modern day story of everyone’s favourite celebratory tipple includes the prickly question of who invented it, the recent launch of Louis Pommery in California and the planting of French vines in English soil by Taittinger.  These high-end sparkling wines are a doff of the cap to the enduring legacy of Dom Pérignon.

Even though New Yorkers can now do an haute version of dial-a-bottle with Dom Pérignon (complete with notes and suggested food pairings), we’re  hoping to go straight to the source and pay a leisurely visit to the often overlooked Champagne region so we can taste the stars ourselves.