Turn those grapes into wine, and their nervy, high-acid profile is perfect base material with which to make great sparkling wine. True Champagne, therefore, comes only from Champagne.

There are the celebrated luxury Champagnes, usually called Cuves de Prestige in French. Examples include Roederer's Cristal and Veuve Clicquot's La Grande Dame. Most are wines from a single vintage (though Krug's Grande Cuve is multi-vintage), and are blended from the finest parcels of vines and the most successful wines of the year.