Why Bubbly on New Year’s Eve?

Hi this is Leslie Harris, in for Mitch again. Happy New Year’s Eve! Let’s talk a bit about champagne.

First of all, for any sparkling wine to be called champagne, it must be made in the champagne region of France. But why do we drink it on New Year’s eve?

Well, basically because it’s expensive! When it was first created in the 16th century, it was only consumed by European aristocrats because regular folks couldn’t afford it. Finally in the 1800s, production increased and the price dropped, but it was still pricey, so people reserved it for special occasions. This was also when the French established the legal exclusive rights to call their sparkling wines champagne, in the year 1891.

Whether you’re breaking out some champagne, sparkling wine or even sparkling cider, I hope you have a wonderful New Year!