Though hidden in the foothills of the Pyrenees at the bottom of the Aube valley, the small city of Limoux is famous not only for its carnivals, but also more importantly for having invented the first sparkling wine in the world. In 1531, a Benedictine monk discovered the natural process of a still wine into a sparkling wine. Today the whole of the appellation and its 500 winemakers produce Blanquette de Limoux sparkling from the Mauzac grape and Crémant de Limoux from a blend of Mauzac, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. These sparkling wines have small elegant bubbles, with floral aromas and typical southern notes of peach blossom, hawthorn, apricot and acacia. The Limoux AOC still wines are barrel aged and made primarily from Chardonnay blended with a mandatory amount of Mauzac and Chenin Blanc. The special “Toques et Clochers” vintages are auctioned off and the proceeds are used to restore Limoux’s aging church steeples.