Sparkling wine was a political tool in the Soviet Union

Champagne’s fizz used to be considered a flaw

The bubbliness that we love now was once considered a winemaking failure. In fact, Dom Pérignon probably would have referred to it by its common nickname at the time, "vin du diable," or devil’s wine. The wine’s volatility often caused bottles to explode, which was both dangerous and costly. It wasn’t until the development of sturdier bottles and more consistent winemaking techniques that popularity truly soared.

Economic stagnation and the arms race pushed the USSR toward collapse

By the 1980s, chronic economic stagnation and soaring military costs forced Gorbachev to launch sweeping reforms—perestroika and glasnost—to revive the Soviet system. Instead, openness fueled independence movements across the republics, accelerating the regime’s rapid downfall.

The disaster affected the Soviet Union's credibility at home and abroad

The USSR's secretive, chaotic response to Chernobyl dealt a significant blow to its legitimacy. Public anger over deception, health risks, and propaganda fueled mass protests, strengthened independence movements in Ukraine and Belarus, and convinced many Soviets that the system was failing.

Cava is Spain's sparkling wine

Champagne is delicious, but it’s not the most budget-friendly beverage. Cava is a Spanish wine produced through the same traditional method used to make Champagne but often sold at a lower price. Cava can be produced in several different regions, offering the possibility of more diversity than what is typically found in Champagne.

Stalin transformed the USSR through rapid industrialization and brutal repression

Ruling from the mid-1920s to 1953, Joseph Stalin reshaped the Soviet Union with forced collectivization, crash industrial growth, and widespread terror. His policies modernized the economy but caused mass famine, purges, and the deaths of millions.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union created a Eurovision competitor

The Soviet Union was not a member of the European Broadcasting Union, so it couldn't compete in Eurovision. In 1977, it turned a preexisting Polish-language singing competition into one that more closely resembled Eurovision and renamed it Intervision. The competition was open to countries from across the globe, regardless of their form of government, though most entrants were from communist countries.

Prosecco—Italy's sparkling wine—is produced using the tank method

Italy’s best-known sparkling wine, Prosecco, has many similarities to Champagne. However, Prosecco performs its secondary fermentation in a different manner. Rather than taking place in the bottle using the French method, fermentation of Prosecco takes place in large, pressurized steel tanks, making it easier to produce on a large scale. The technique results in light, fresh flavors and plenty of bubbles.

Explore the material culture of socialist Cuba

Even the objects of everyday life were politicized under socialism. This catalog of Cuban artifacts, collected between 1959 and the fall of the Soviet Union, reveals how revolutionary values infiltrated the most ordinary of items—from cocktail coasters to cologne.

Gorbachev’s reform efforts accelerated the Soviet Union’s collapse

In the 1980s, Mikhail Gorbachev introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) to reform the USSR. Instead of saving the system, the policies exposed deep problems—fueling unrest and weakening central control.

Champagne has a rich history in hip-hop

The drink is both aspirational and a bragging right. Famous artists name-check brands like Cristal, and up-and-comers long for the day when sparkling wine will flow like water. The trend traces back to the early 1990s and Branson B., “hip-hop’s unofficial sommelier.” The Harlem-based artist would bring bottles of his favorite bubbly to parties, celebrations, and, crucially, recording studios, where friends like the Notorious B.I.G. were laying down some of rap’s foundational tracks.

Watch experts blindly taste test Champagne and other sparkling wines

Champagne’s prestige typically comes with a high price. So is it worth it? Professional wine judge Dr. Matthew Horkey invites a Champagne expert and a producer to a blind taste test to find out. The individuals try sparkling wines from across the world and do their best to sniff out (sip out?) which is the real-deal Champagne.

The tradition of drinking Champagne on New Year's is believed to come from ancient Rome

Julius Caesar might not have had sparkling wine, but when the Romans created the now-standard calendar that begins on Jan. 1, they celebrated with a toast. The tradition spread throughout Europe and then the colonies, and so when Champagne became the drink of choice for special occasions, it was only natural that it became the standard New Year’s Eve sip.

Learn how the Soviets won the early space race

This video traces how Cold War arms competition transformed rocketry into a symbol of global power, following pioneers like Tsiolkovsky and von Braun through World War II and into the 1950s, culminating in the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik I in 1957.

Propaganda became a key weapon in the US–Soviet Cold War

Both superpowers waged a global battle for hearts and minds through propaganda—using film, radio, art and education to promote their values. The US emphasized freedom and prosperity, while the USSR championed socialism and anti-imperialism.

In 1910, riots swept Champagne over unfairness in the winemaking industry

The French are well known for protesting, and their winegrowers are no exception. After years of disastrous harvests caused by bad weather, disease, and deceptive practices by large Champagne houses, smaller vintners fought back.

Explore 1,500 Soviet propaganda posters showcasing the USSR’s visual cultu

This extensive gallery curated by Ben Perry features nearly 1,500 Socialist Realist posters. The images celebrate agriculture, industry, and cultural life, condemn fascism and capitalism, and glorify leaders like Lenin and Stalin through bold colors, striking typography, and classic Soviet design.

A standard glass of champagne poured straight down releases about a million tiny carbon dioxide bubbles, according to two decades of research by a French physicist.

The USSR's space program achieved many historic firsts in the Space Race

Soviet scientists launched the first satellite, sent the first human into orbit, and carried out early spacewalks—milestones that gave the USSR a decisive early lead in the Space Race and reshaped global competition in science and technology.

Cold War soft power helped sell the space race to the American public

The fear of Soviet dominance prompted the US to invest heavily in space, but public support was also crucial. This video shows how marketing, media, and "soft power" framed spaceflight as peaceful, aspirational, and worth the cost—helping sustain the space race at home.

The mysterious details of Stalin's death

The 73-year-old dictator of the Soviet Union died March 5, 1953, officially from a stroke, on top of nearly a decade of significant medical issues. But evidence suggests the longtime leader might have been poisoned less than a week before at an intimate gathering of Stalin's closest confidantes and advisors. Explore the current evidence for Stalin's alleged murder here.

12 things we learned about Champagne

Champagne isn’t just sparkling wine—it’s a protected name tied to France’s Champagne region and made using the strict champenoise method. This explainer looks at its surprising history, from early fermentation mishaps to how it became a global symbol of celebration.

Britain’s bottle innovation saved Champagne

Champagne wouldn’t be where it is today without a surprising partner: 17th-century British glassmakers. An energy crisis caused by deforestation—not enough trees to burn—led to the search for an alternative fuel source. Enter coal. The plentiful resource burned much hotter than wood, creating stronger glass that could stand up to the pressure of the carbon monoxide produced by the wine’s second fermentation and solving one of the fledgling industry’s most vexing problems.

Explore a timeline tracing the Soviet Union’s collapse from 1985 to 1991

This interactive webpage charts the USSR’s final years—from Gorbachev’s rise to the 1991 dissolution—using infographics, key quotes, and profiles of prominent political figures to explain how the Soviet state unraveled, and Russia emerged in its place.

After it was banned from Eurovision, Russia resurrected its Cold War-era version

Russia was barred from the Eurovision Song Contest following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In 2025, President Vladimir Putin announced the revival of Intervision, a similarly structured song contest that the Soviet Union had organized throughout the Cold War.

How disgorgement works while making sparkling wine

After riddling, winemakers still need to dispose of collected sediment in wines. While this was once done by hand, the modern method of freezing the bottle's neck and removing the now-solid sediment is ubiquitous. In this short video, an enologist (wine expert) from California’s Halter Ranch vineyards explains each step of the mechanical disgorgement process, complete with footage from their production line.

A major US-designed polio vaccine was first tested in the Soviet Union

Albert Sabin's live attenuated virus vaccine—requiring two drops in the mouth—didn't garner political support in the US, so it was tested in the Soviet Union in the late 1950s.

Soviet control spread across Eastern Europe after WWII

In the late 1940s, the USSR solidified control over Eastern Europe by installing pro-communist regimes in countries like Poland, Hungary and Romania—often through rigged elections and political repression.

There's a legal loophole behind California Champagne

In the late 19th century, sparkling wine production took root in California before France began the fight to own the term “Champagne.” Many American winemakers already used it for easy recognition. The battle continued for over a century before reaching an agreement in 2005, stipulating that American sparkling wine couldn’t be labeled as Champagne unless the producer was already calling it such.

Georgian wine and the qvevri method

What do we know about early viticulture? The earliest evidence of winemaking comes from the country of Georgia. More than 8,000 years ago, people began fermenting grapes in clay vessels called qvevri (pronounced kway-vree). Join Master of Wine Konstantin Baum for a video diving into the origins of winemaking in Georgia, exploring how that country's unique mix of climates and cultures made it the perfect place for wine to flourish.

Some people smash Champagne bottles on ships for good luck

Long before Champagne existed, people performed good-luck rituals before setting sail. But since animal sacrifice is generally frowned upon these days, a new tradition developed before a ship’s maiden voyage: smashing a bottle of Champagne against the hull.

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, due to economic decline and political unrest

By the late 1980s, the Soviet economy was stagnating and its political system was under tremendous strain. Soviet reforms failed to reverse the decline, and growing independence movements led to the USSR’s formal dissolution in 1991.

The Soviet Union explained

From 1922 to 1991, the Soviet Union spanned one-sixth of Earth’s landmass and housed nearly 300 million people. As the most significant test of Marxist governance, it sat at the center of the century’s defining struggle between capitalism and communism.

Roosevelt formally recognized the Soviet Union in 1933

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt formally recognized the Soviet Union—ending 16 years of nonrecognition and aiming to improve trade and stabilize relations amid growing global instability.

Cold War rivalries fueled fierce competition in international sports

From Olympic medal counts to hockey showdowns, the US and USSR used sports to showcase ideological superiority. Athletic victories were framed as proof that each system—capitalist or communist—produced stronger, more disciplined citizens.

See a timeline of the major moments in Soviet history

Beginning with Lenin’s return to Russia from Germany in 1917 and ending with Gorbachev’s resignation on December 25, 1991, this timeline outlines the significant domestic and foreign policy developments that led to the rise and fall of the Soviet Union.

Wine explained

Wine is the sublime product of fermentation, the process of breaking down fruit—typically grapes. As the grapes ferment, yeast consumes the natural sugars and converts them to alcohol. With the process first developed and refined thousands of years ago, wine has been a central feature of celebrations throughout modern history. Want to learn more about its origins? Check out 1440's explainer on wine.

McDonald's became the first American fast food restaurant to open in the Soviet Union in 1990.

One of the Widow Clicquot’s many innovations was the process of riddling

Riddling involves storing Champagne bottles at an angle and methodically turning them in order to collect any sediment in the neck of the bottle. The technique—which was kept a strict secret—cut down on both time and waste, allowing the House of Clicquot to outsell its competitors for decades until word inevitably leaked and riddling became the standard.

The Soviet Union’s surprising first atomic test ended the US nuclear monopoly

In 1949, the USSR successfully tested its first atomic bomb—ending the US monopoly on nuclear weapons and sparking an arms race that would define the Cold War.

The USSR launched the world's first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space in 1957

Sputnik, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, became the world's first artificial satellite. While the technology itself was limited, the launch ignited the space race and signaled that intercontinental missiles and space technology had arrived faster than American leaders expected.

Strict rules dictate the making of Champagne

Some regulations, such as geographical area and grape varieties, are fairly well known. But to be true Champagne, winemakers must follow guidelines for all sorts of finicky things, including pruning, press yield (how much juice is extracted from the grapes), alcohol content, vineyard management, and aging, among others.

Gulags were a vast network of Soviet forced-labor camps under Stalin

The USSR’s gulag system imprisoned millions in harsh, often deadly conditions from the 1930s to the 1950s. This resource features an interactive map that shows the locations of individual camps and includes stories of those who were imprisoned.

Spies working on the Manhattan Project propelled the Soviet bomb program

Soviet infiltration—most notably by Klaus Fuchs—smuggled detailed implosion-design and hydrogen‑bomb data from Los Alamos to Moscow, cutting the USSR’s development time by at least a year and enabling their first atomic test in August 1949.

The US Olympic hockey team upset the USSR in 1980—later dubbed the 'Miracle on Ice'

At the 1980 Winter Olympics, a team of American college players defeated the heavily favored Soviet hockey team—shocking the world. The victory became a defining moment of Cold War sports rivalry and American national pride.

Stalin's policies intentionally caused a devastating famine in Ukraine

The Holodomor of 1932-33 was a human-made famine resulting from Stalin's grain requisition policies, killing an estimated 3 million to 4 million Ukrainians—considered by many to be an act of genocide.

Only one region in France can legally call its sparkling wine Champagne.

A blind taste test in 1976 determined that California produced better wine than France in a decision known as 'the Judgment of Paris' that realigned the wine world.

Saccharin was widely used in WWI when sugar was rationed

The substance was discovered by chemists in 1878, but its use became more common during World War I and also afterward as a result of sugar rationing. It had become a typical household item in the US and Europe by 1917. During World War II, the artificial sweetener again saw significant popularity.

The vast majority of Champagne is labeled 'dry' or even 'extra dry'

Sweetness levels are determined by the amount of sugar added to the wine at the end of the process—anything up to 6 grams per liter is extra dry, and up to 12 grams per liter is still considered dry.

Modern Champagne owes much of its existence to one woman: Widow Clicquot

Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, better known as the Widow Clicquot, might not have actually invented Champagne, but her innovative approach to winemaking yielded many techniques still used today. Taking over her husband’s failing business after his death, the Widow Clicquot combined business savvy and innovative thinking to make the process easier, more efficient, and, most important, more profitable.