Champagne is not only a bubbly, festive sparkling wine known for celebrations and hangovers, but also a lovely and lush region in France. Here countless winemakers continue the rich tradition of méthode champenoise, the method for making champagne wine. It is important for connoisseurs to note (and follow) the number one rule of the term “champagne”: don’t call any wine (especially sparkling wine) not made in the Champagne region of France “champagne,” an important designation for regional foods protected by the EU.
Champagne is made by a secondary fermentation in the bottle (with a little help from a dash of yeast and a pinch of sugar), which creates the titillating carbonation. It has an erroneous bad reputation for inducing headaches, but it is the cheap, sugary sparkling wine, wine with big “artificially” added bubbles, consumed in vast quantities at your cousin’s wedding that is the culprit. True champagne is made only with red Pinot Noir (or sometimes Pinot Meunier) and Chardonnay grapes and is delicate with small, fine bubbles. It makes a lovely addition to a warm afternoon or a rich meal. If you are staying in Paris, you shouldn’t neglect to travel for a day or two to the Champagne area. Reims is a spectacular city with a rich history located in the Champagne region. If you head this direction, you must visit Champagne Taittinger, a spectacular champagne wine house with English tours available for their wine cellar.
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The French do many things spectacularly, but pastries are one of the tours de force of this culturally- and culinary-rich country. From buttery flaky croissants to sweet cakey madeleines, it would be easy to eat these delectable treats with (or instead of) every meal while traveling in France. Since this is not the most nutritionally sound eating habit, there has to be a better way to get your fill of éclairs and macarons. 
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