<P> The history of Champagne has seen the wine evolve from being a pale, pinkish still wine to the sparkling wine now associated with the region . The Romans were the first to plant vineyards in this area of northeast France, with the region being cultivated by at least the 5th century, possibly earlier . When Hugh Capet was crowned King of France in 987 at the cathedral of Reims, located in the heart of the region, he started a tradition that brought successive monarchs to the region--with the local wine being on prominent display at the coronation banquets . The early wine of the Champagne region was a pale, pinkish wine made from Pinot noir . </P> <P> The Champenois were envious of the reputation of the wines made from their Burgundian neighbours to the south and sought to produce wines of equal acclaim . However the northerly climate of the region gave the Champenois a unique set of challenges in making red wine . At the far extremes of sustainable viticulture, the grapes would struggle to ripen fully and often would have bracing levels of acidity and low sugar levels . The wines were lighter bodied and thinner than the Burgundies . </P> <P> Furthermore, the cold winter temperatures prematurely halted fermentation in the cellars, leaving dormant yeast cells that would awaken in the warmth of spring and start fermenting again . One of the byproducts of fermentation is the release of carbon dioxide gas, which, if the wine is bottled, is trapped inside the wine, causing intense pressure . The pressure inside the weak, early French wine bottles often caused the bottles to explode, creating havoc in the cellars . If the bottle survived, the wine was found to contain bubbles, something that the early Champenois were horrified to see, considering it a fault . As late as the 17th century, Champenois wine makers, most notably the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon (1638--1715), were still trying to rid their wines of the bubbles . </P> <P> While the Champenois and their French clients preferred their Champagne to be pale and still, the British were developing a taste for the unique bubbly wine . The sparkling version of Champagne continued to grow in popularity, especially among the wealthy and royal . Following the death of Louis XIV of France in 1715, the court of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans made the sparkling version of Champagne a favorite among the French nobility . More Champenois wine makers attempted to make their wines sparkle deliberately, but didn't know enough about how to control the process or how to make wine bottles strong enough to withstand the pressure . </P>

Who developed the disgorgement technique still used today