Long before Champagne was a sparkling wine, it was a quiet region in Northern France. There, you'd find the Abby of Hautvillers, home to a small order of monks known for their ability to make fine wines desired across the country and beyond to Spain and Portugal.

Often, the monks would notice a strange phenomenon occurring in some batches. Somehow, carbon dioxide was getting trapped in the bottles. This of course created millions of tiny, sparkling bubbles and a thick froth when poured from the bottle.

The cellarmaster, Dom Pérignon, was perplexed, but also curious. Rather than correct the problem, he decided to experiment with the formula. He found that the dramatic weather changes of the region were causing the wine to go through a second fermentation once bottled. Upon understanding how it worked, Pérignon refined the process and was the father of Champagne as we now know it today.