True champagne can only come from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France. In everyday usage, people often call any sparkling wine “champagne,” but the name is legally protected for wine made in the designated French appellation.
Champagne lies in northeastern France, about 160 kilometres east of Paris. Its cool climate and chalk-rich soils help grapes retain the high acidity needed for elegant sparkling wine. The principal varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, which producers may blend to create a house style.
The region's wines are made using the traditional method, in which a second fermentation occurs in the bottle. This produces the carbon dioxide bubbles and allows the wine to develop some of its characteristic complexity during bottle aging. Champagne houses commonly mature bottles in underground cellars around Reims and Épernay.
The legally defined vineyard area was established in 1927 and includes districts such as the Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, and Aube. Sparkling wines made elsewhere can be excellent, but they should be called by names such as Cava, Prosecco, or simply sparkling wine rather than Champagne.