Why do we toast with champagne on New Year's Eve?

Sparkling wine is now inseparable from celebration, especially the last night of the year. At New Year's Eve, it is a natural gesture to open a bottle and clink the champagne glasses together. We rarely think about the fact that this custom has formed over centuries. It is worth looking back at the roots, because the history of sparkling wine is at least as exciting as the drink itself. The origin of sparkling wine is closely linked to France, specifically the Champagne wine region. Due to the cool climate and the unique soil conditions, the fermentation of the wines often stopped and then resumed in the spring. This phenomenon, which was then considered a mistake, led to the formation of carbon dioxide in the bottle. Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk, perfected the method at the end of the 17th century, although the creation of bubbly wine was actually the result of the shared experiences of several winemakers. The technology of bottle fermentation gradually improved, and the ...