The pop of a Champagne cork signals celebration and promises pleasure. The world’s most joyous drink was born around 350 years ago on the wind-swept chalk plains of eastern France. Just 45 minutes east of Paris by high-speed train, the Champagne region has long been popular with travelers fascinated by the history and taste of this elegant wine with its signature effervescence. Endowed with a constellation of great restaurants and several of the country’s best hotels — including a superb new one — Champagne today is a more alluring destination for oenophiles, gourmets and history buffs than ever before.