Happy New Year! Raise Your Glass for National Champagne Day

We have finally come to the end of another great year, and it is now time to ring in 2015! New Year’s Eve is less of a holiday and more of a worldwide celebration where families and friends come together and pop champagne bottles for an annual toast to a New Year and new beginnings. Since champagne has become a major part of the New Year’s Eve tradition, December 31st has also become annually recognized as National Champagne Day.

Commonly known as “bubbly”, champagne is a white sparkling wine originating in the Champagne region of France. Since its origin, champagne has been associated with celebration, elegance and regarded as a symbol of luxury. What makes champagne such a fun celebratory drink is its bubbly texture. The fermentation of yeast and sugar produces gasses that become trapped in the bottle to create the carbonated or sparkling effect that is unique to champagne.

Though there are no nutritional benefits champagne offers, it is more than okay to allow yourself to have a glass to toast with on New Year’s Eve (ask your doctor first to be sure there are no contraindications with medical conditions or medications that you are on).

One of the most important tips to keep in mind when celebrating the New Year is to drink responsibly. Champagne is a very easy alcoholic beverage to drink because, like wine, it offers an appealing taste. Make sure you are aware of how much you are drinking. Not only should you be mindful of how much you are drinking, but keeping your drinking in check will also allow you to be mindful of how much you are eating at your New Year’s Eve bash.

A fun take away tip to keep health in mind is to add a strawberry or any other piece of fruit to your champagne glass. This will dress up your drink as well as add some nutrition to your glass of champagne!

So raise your glass and celebrate National Champagne Day and most of all, have a safe, happy and healthy New Year!