Champagne’s magic isn’t a machine pumping in gas. It’s a second fermentation, sealed inside each bottle — a painstaking method that gives the world’s great sparkling wines their fine bubbles and toasty depth. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour hosts The méthode champenoise — the “traditional method” — is how
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The most famous story in wine — a monk crying “I am drinking stars!” — is almost entirely a myth. The true history of Champagne is stranger, and features an English scientist and a widow who changed the drink forever. KWReviewed & edited by Ken Wytsma · Fact-checked June 2026Researched and fact-checked against independent sources,
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Long known for Pinot Noir, the Willamette Valley turns out to be just as suited to bubbles — and a quiet sparkling boom is now proving it on the world stage. KWReviewed & edited by Ken Wytsma · Fact-checked June 2026Researched and fact-checked against independent sources, with AI assistance.✓ Verified The same cool climate that
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