Even a cheap Champagne still feels fancy. If you've ever scanned the spirits aisle and wondered (thirstily) what the difference is between brut, dry, and sweet Champagnes, you aren't alone.

We explain how sugar and acidity make dessert wines like Sauternes and Barsac some of the most ageworthy bottles on earth.

Nowadays, many people credit Dom Perignon with inventing champagne by forcing bubbles into sweet wine. That's a myth, though. In Dom Perignon's day, bubbles were considered a serious wine flaw ...