Champagne (the finest sparkler)

Even if you don't know squat about wines, you must 'know' Champagne, know the pronunciation and know it comes from France (oh, does it?). Good, but not good enough.

Champagne is real Champagne only if it comes from the Champagne region in the North-east France. Sadly enough, many drinkers give the name to any sparkling wine, especially the ones bought for New Year's Eve celebrations, which - ironically - are often the cheapest fizz that have never even stood close to Champagne.

PRODUCTION AND GRAPE VARIETIES:
Its production takes heck of a lot time and it is very meticulous (I'm not going to bore anyone with it). The process called methode traditionelle has been adopted for other sparklers, too. Merci, France!
Only three grape varieties are allowed in Champagne, i.e., Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. You can also find variations: blanc de blancs made entirely from Chardonnay (creamy with yellow-fruit notes), and blanc de noirs made from Pinot Noir (aromatic with red-berry flavours).

VINTAGE OR NON-VINTAGE?
Pay attention to which Champagne you opt for! A bottle of non-vintage Champagne can be popped open right after release.
(http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/champagne/moët-et-chandon-demi-sec-nv-75cl)
However, the vintage fizz should be kept for a few years before you get down to business. Some supermarkets release vintage bottles after a few years of ageing already. You see how they make it easy on us?
(http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/champagne/lanson-gold-label--vintage-75cl)

AROMA AND FLAVOUR:
Champagne is a truly powerful wine, filled with rich fruit and creaminess, notes of bread and chocolate. It should be perfectly balanced, rich and complex yet with high acidity, a lot of crispiness and bubbles that will go with many dishes. You can enjoy Champagne young or aged (it depends on Champagne). The latter will reveal honeyed, toffee notes.

LEVELS OF SWEETNESS:
Brut = dry; goes well with fish, poultry, cheese
Sec = slightly sweeter than brut; goes well with savoury dishes, seafood, pâté
Demi-sec = sweeter than sec, with honeyed notes, goes well with dessert dishes (not too sweet, though!), sweet-tasting dishes, e.e.g, Thai food

Voilà!

MAKE IT WORTHWILE :)
Do you still wonder why Champagne is the most adored fizz around the globe?
Needles to say, the prices can stress your wallet. Here come the last pieceS of advice.
Do not go for the cheapest Champagne(!), unless you are already so wasted that you will not even draw the difference between high quality and the lowest quality. But seriously preaching, don't! :)
Serve it chilled and drink up soon after opening not to let it go flat. Is there anyone who actually needs to be told to drink Champagne up? ;)
And once you see the bubbles are tiny and there are plenty of them - you know you hit a good bottle!