““Remember gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s Champagne!” ”

I must immediately 'fess up to something - I owe the lovely Sara L for the inspiration behind this post. Because I was stalking her Pinterest board, and naturally, as she has impeccable taste, she had fifteen pins with fabulous champagne inspired bits and pieces on them - and after that, well, it was a done deal.

I had to have a glass immediately simply to start the creative juices... uh - bubbling.

Champagne - where to begin really.

And yes I am talking about champagne.  Yes, I know that Australia makes some magnificent sparkling numbers, and yes I sound like a snob, but they are not the same as a truly toasty, dry, built of the tiniest bubbles imaginable flute full of fizz that is a truly magnifique mouthful from La Belle France.

Le sigh.

Nor are all champagnes created equal for that matter. Just because something costs the equivalent of the GDP of 3 South American countries does not make it great. This is something that most people learn very quickly. Unless their name rhymes with Huffy. Or possibly Liddy. I'm not sure which he goes by these days. Obviously my attention span is taken up with far more worthy things.

Like shoes.

Anyway, back to the precious drop. When you think about it, it's not surprising that it was a bunch of boozy Benedictines who kicked off the whole champagne shebang. Even if it wasn't actually Dom Perignon who started the grape non-escape, he certainly helped his brethren along their initial path of enlightment. Although as champers was once called le vin du diable (the Devil's wine), one wonders how devout they actually were.

I must admit I personally send up a little prayer of thanksgiving whenever I take my first sip of Perrier-Jouët.

This is all very well you may say, but what does champagne actually stand for? One might argue that it's an alcoholic beverage; it doesn't actually have to stand for anything much at all, except getting one tipsy. But this isn't accurate. This is a drink that thinks. This is a drink with - well, soul.

Champagne is for fun. It is for life, for love, for laughter, for romance - sometimes it is even to toast the craptacular times as well.

Champagne is for breakfast.

Champagne is the skip in your heart's step, that happy little hum when putting on a slinky frock and knowing you are going to sit somewhere beautiful with someone who may or may not think you look fairly damn amazing. It doesn't much matter; you know yourself that you do. Because you are thinking champagne thoughts.

Champagne is, like the bubbles that tickle your tongue, totally frivolous and unnecessary - but an absolute delight.

I can cope with turning 41 in three weeks.

Just don't make me do it without a full glass in my hand. And an even fuller bottle close by.

Salut!