There are many sophisticated places in the world. And then there is Épernay, which simply pops the cork and sprays it directly into your face (metaphorically speaking, of course). I arrived in the heart of the Champagne region with the elegance of a woman who had absolutely no intention of becoming tipsy at noon and the optimism of someone who underestimated the power of French bubbles. The first thing you notice in Épernay is that everything looks impossibly French. The streets are elegant, the buildings carry the aura of old money and even the air smells like grapes and generational wealth. It’s the kind of town where you suddenly start walking slower, pretending you know things about wine.