Three cheers for the bubblies

Next time you are in France, do not forget to visit Champagne and Burgundy. These two world-famous wine countries of France have been inscribed as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). According to UNESCO, the Champagne hillsides, houses and cellars have been inscribed because it is here that “the method of producing sparkling wines was developed on the principle of secondary fermentation in the bottle since the early 17th century to its early industrialization in the 19th century.” The property is made up of three distinct ensembles: the historic vineyards of Hautvilliers, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims, and the Avenue de Champagne and Fort Chabrol in Epernay. The Climats of Burgundy – delimited vineyard parcels on the slopes of the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune south of the city of Dijon – have been considered because “they differ from one another due to specific natural conditions (geology and exposure) as well as vine types and have been shaped by human cultivation. Over time they came to be recognized by the wine they produce.”