New Test Proves Whether Champagne Is the Real Thing

I guess this means that the producers will have to be careful to really use *some* grapes from the Champagne region. There have been persuasive rumors that sometimes the grapes travel a long way. Nonetheless, it still seems true that real French companies know how to make the best sparkling wines. However, as a chemist I might be tempted to find out what are the characteristic trace compounds even if I have no intention of going into business to synthesize them (g).

IIRC, the article mentioned metals, so that sounds like the sort of synthesis even crystallographers can do ;-)

Ducking quickly to avoid thrown brickbats, Mark Lipton, unrepentant organicker