Champagne is the costliest beverage to produce. As such, it has become a distinct mark of affluence. Champagne is  a sparkling wine named after the Champagne region of France. To produce champagne there must be two fermentation processes, the second step being the trapping of carbon dioxide which creates the the bubbles. In most of Europe, the name “champagne” is legally protected meaning only the most expensive sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France can be marketed as champagne. Arguably, determining the most expensive champagne is sometimes more about image than what is actually inside the bottle. So what are currently the world’s most expensive champagne? Check them out.

Louis Roederer  Cristal Brut 1990 “Methuselah” (US$17,625)

The perfect mood setter for any party, the Cristal Brut 1990 “Methuselah” will cost you $17,625 but you become the proud owner of the gold-labeled, 6-liter bottle of ecstasy. It has been said that there is only one bottle of this champagne available and was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York to an undisclosed buyer in 2005. At the time, Cristal was the favorite of the hip-hop crowd and it’s no surprise that this blinged champagne should fetch a highly prohibitive auction price.

Dom Perignon 1995 White Gold Jeroboam ($40,000)

In 2005, a limited edition bottle of the superb Dom Perignon became one of the world’s most expensive champagne. Typically sold in three-liter bottles, the Dom Perignon White Gold Jeroboam was sold and bought by a buyer in order for them to commemorate the New Year. Much of its price of this luxury champagne, however, is more due to the white gold bottle from which the expensive wine takes its name more than the taste of it. There is even a dubious myth that  Dom Pierre Pérignon himself invented champagne, but this has yet to be proven. However, whenever people think of the most expensive champagne, this champagne comes to mind first.

Pernod-Ricard Perrier-Jouet ($50,000)

The Pernod-Ricard Perrier-Jouet is also one of the most expensive champagne brands in the world. This is one of the most sought after champagnes that is typically marketed only to the ultra-rich, those unique buyers have the chance to personalize their very own drinking experience by being able to choose the liqueur used in the champagne. It is said that only 100 sets of this champagne was produced. However, each of the 100 sets contains 12 bottles already, and each set costs a whopping $50,000. There is one more problem, though. You have to travel to Eastern France to buy this champagne because it is only sold there. The price even includes a storage nest where the champagne may be allowed to age for up to eight months.

Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck ($275,000)

This champagne is actually 300 years old and came straight from the Heidsieck vineyard in champagne, France. Bottles of this champagne were said to have taken more than eighty years to finally reach their destination. The bottles were shipped to the Russian Imperial family in 1916; but a shipwreck just off the coast of Finland caused this champagne to be thrown into the water until divers discovered around 200 bottles in 1997, hence their name. The bottles were then sold to some of the more affluent guests at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow.

The story behind this particular champagne and the fact that it has aged in a unique way (and, of course its actual age) make this the most valuable champagne in the world; which explains its high price tag and its place at the top of the list of the most expensive champagne in the world.