CHAMPAGNE CHAMPAGNE CHAMPAGNE!!!

J'adore le champagne! I love champagne...

And I'm a stickler for making sure when I ask for champagne, I am not being served sparkling wine. There is a difference. I also love all the different type of glasses this fabulous beverage is served in...that aside.

As you know, champagne is only made in France and since I'll be spending my birthday in France this year, I've already asked my friends to order me a case from a local producer to be chilled and ready for consumption upon my arrival. I can't wait! Fresh baguettes, beurre au fleur de sel, jambon de bayonne

( more on all that later! ). This article is a fun description of what I am talking about:

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/triumph-of-small-champagne-growers

A LITTLE HISTORY AND INTERESTING FACTS ON CHAMPAGNE and THE WORD 'CHAMPAGNE'

There are many sparkling wines produced worldwide, yet most legal structures reserve the term champagne exclusively for sparkling wines from the Champagne region, made in accordance with Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne regulations. In the European Union and many other countries, the name champagne is legally protected by the Treaty of Madrid (1891) designating only the sparkling wine produced in the eponymous region and adhering to the standards defined for it as an Appellation d'origine contrôlée; the right was reaffirmed in the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. This legal protection has been accepted by numerous other countries worldwide.

Assez!!! Let's toast to health, love and wealth !

...and the winner of the Italian photo giveaway is.....Patsy DesChenes of Decorus Vita!!!!

Visit her blog at http://thedecoratedlife.blogspot.com/

Auguri!

Thanks for participating. You can see a photo of my beautiful daughter choosing the winner this morning.

This has been a week of training on airplanes and not flying on them. I'm on call this upcoming weekend and the sky's the limit. I could go anywhere. Stay tuned for details on my next adventure!

Cheers