Épernay

Although Reims loudly proclaims itself to be the last word in Champagne production, Épernay—set on the south bank of the Marne—is really the center of the bubbly drink's spirit. It was here in 1741 that the first full-blown Champagne house, Moët (now Moët et Chandon), took the lifetime passion of Dom Pérignon and turned it into an industry.