What is it about champagne that, against all odds, has made it so prestigious as to become the festive symbol par excellence throughout the world? It all began around 496 A.D., when Clovis, King of the Franks, was baptised a Christian in Reims, the birthplace of Champagne wine. The nobility then got into the habit of drinking this wine during holidays. In the 17th century, the Benedictines perfected the blending of grape varieties and increased the quality of Champagne wine. As a teenager, King Louis XIV discovered this sparkling wine, a symbol of luxury and joie de vivre, and immediately adopted it.