Shkoder vs Champagne

Informations

Shkodër or Shkodra (UK: SHKO-der, Albanian pronunciation: [ˈʃkɔdəɾ] or [ˈʃkɔdɾa]), historically known as Scodra or Scutari, is the fifth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the capital of the eponymous municipality and county. It is one of the most ancient cities in the Balkans and exerts strong cultural, economic and religious influences in Northern Albania. Its location has been of strategic importance throughout its history. It has often helped the city to its wealth or made it the subject of conflicts between foreign powers. Geographically, Shkodër sprawls across the Plain of Mbishkodra between the freshwater marshlands of Lake Shkodër and the foothills of the Albanian Alps. As most of the Dinaric Alps, the mountains are dominated by limestone and dolomite rocks. The lake, named after the city of Shkodër, is the largest lake in Southern Europe. The city is surrounded on three sides by the rivers Kir in the east, Drin in the south and Buna in the west. Historically, the region that corresponds to the territory of Shkodër was founded in the 4th century BC by the Ancient Illyrian tribes of the Ardiaei and Labeates.

It is evidenced by the artefacts and inscriptions discovered in the Rozafa Castle. During that period, the city was known under the name Scodra. In the last period of the Illyrian kingdom, under the Labeatan dynasty, it served as the royal capital city of the realm. It has historically developed on a 130 metres (430 ft) hill, strategically located in the outflow of Lake of Shkodër into the Buna. The Romans annexed the city after the third Illyrian War in 168 BC, when Gentius was defeated by the Roman force of Anicius Gallus. In the 3rd century AD, Shkodër became the capital of Praevalitana, due to the administrative reform of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. With the spread of Christianity in the 4th century AD, the Archdiocese of Scodra was founded and was assumed in 535 by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. During many different epochs it has retained its status as a major city in the wider region, due to its strategic position close to the Adriatic Sea and the Italian port cities, but also with land-routes to other important cities and towns in neighbouring regions.

Source: Wikipedia

Informations

Champagne (, French: [ʃɑ̃paɲ]) is a French sparkling wine. The term Champagne can be used as a generic term for sparkling wine, but in the EU and some countries it is illegal to label any product Champagne unless it came from the Champagne wine region of France and is produced under the rules of the appellation. This alcoholic drink is produced from specific types of grapes grown in the Champagne region following rules that demand, among other things, specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within the Champagne region, specific grape-pressing methods and secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to cause carbonation.

The grapes Pinot noir, Pinot meunier, and Chardonnay are primarily used to produce almost all Champagne, but small amounts of Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Arbane, and Petit Meslier are vinified as well. Only these specific grapes grown according to appellation rules on designated plots of land within the appellation may be used to make Champagne. Champagne became associated with royalty in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The leading manufacturers made efforts to associate their Champagnes with nobility and royalty through advertising and packaging, which led to its popularity among the emerging middle class.

Source: Wikipedia