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Champagne smacks of celebration and special occasions. Only those wines made in the Champagne region of France may bear that name, and must be made by the traditional method whereby the wine goes through a secondary fermentation in the bottle, which is what creates the bubbles of carbon dioxide.
Quality and prices vary wildly – many cheap champagnes are overly acidic and grating, while some (especially supermarket own-brands) offer great value for money. At the top end, some are firmly aimed at the status symbol market (Jay Z’s blingtastic Ace of Spades champagne in a gold bottle will set you back round £245. It’s good, but it’s not