Roman vines take root in the chalky soils of northeast France.

Champagne's earliest wines were still and red; the bubbles came much, much later.
The Romans planted the first vineyards in what is now the Champagne region, drawn by the chalky subsoil and gentle hillsides. For centuries, the wines produced here were still, not sparkling, and predominantly red. The region's proximity to Paris and its position on major trade routes gave it an early commercial advantage over rival wine-producing areas.














