Thanks to everyone who sent us the info about how drinking champagne might improve your memory. You certainly know our taste! If you haven’t seen the report going around the news, a study was conducted in England where mice who were given champagne were better able to complete a maze than those who did not get any bubbly. Apparently the antioxidants in the drink helped their brains function better. But what if you’re on a beer budget?

If you enjoy sparkling wine but are put off by the high cost of genuine Champagne that comes only from that region of France, then head south to a town just 30 minutes by train from Carcassonne. It’s in Limoux that monks created the world’s first sparkling wine in 1531, well before another monk, Dom Pérignon, popularized the drink a century later. Very good bottles can be found at the local grocery stores for 4 euro or less. There certainly are advantages to living in France’s largest wine-producing region.

But perhaps you say, “I drink only Champagne” with a capital “C”. Do you also say “I eat only Vidalia® onions”? You know, those same onions can grow in many parts of the US but can only be called that brand name if they are grown in the region of Georgia centered around Vidalia. Just sayin’.