Each bottle of Champagne is handled more than 100 times.

Gantner grew up in Alsace, France. He remembers his mother using local ingredients in her dishes, including Champagne from nearby Epernay and Reins, and wine from Alsace.

"Because of Champagne's higher cost and delicate nature, it hasn't become the same coveted culinary staple," he says. "But even though the bubbles disappear when you heat them, the crisp, distinctive flavors of the pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier grapes linger behind in the sauce."

But never boil it, Ganter warns. It's wasteful to cook it for more than a few minutes. Too much of its flavor and character will evaporate.

Finbar Kinsella, chef at Lilly's restaurant in Louisville, Ky., explains that Champagne's bracing acidity "is a perfect foil for butter, and its fresh flavor enhances light, delicate sauces like nothing else. That's why it's so prized in beurre blanc sauce" (a classic French butter sauce). Champagne is part of the rich, velvety beurre blanc he serves over delicate sole, sea bass or halibut.

Kinsella insists that Champagne's crisp flavor flows into the dish rather than standing out like the more distinct taste of still wines.

When deciding which label of Champagne to use, Kinsella emphasizes how important it is to like the flavor. "It doesn't have to be as expensive as the Champagne you'll be drinking, but if you don't like it in the glass, you won't like it on your plate," he says. "It will, quite simply, ruin the dish. The myth that the taste will be diffused in the cooking process is just that."

Josiah Citrin, chef and owner of Melisse in Santa Monica, Calif., cooks with Champagne for the same reason he uses fresh truffles or searches out the best foie gras, lobster or caviar. "A dish is only as elegant as its ingredients," he says. "Champagne has a certain finesse."

Often, Citrin will cook with a more moderately priced champagne, such as Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Yellow Label, then finish the dish with a splash of a more expensive bottling.

Vincent Scotto, executive chef at Gonzo in New York City, would rather savor a glass of good Champagne than cook with it, so he prepares food with prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine. "(It) is about half the price of a minimally nice Champagne and produces good results, such as searing scallops or chicken, then deglazing the pan with sparkling wine and, if you want, adding cream or creme fraiche," he says.

For people who do not drink alcoholic beverages, bright green verjus, made of unripe Champagne grapes, is the best substitute for Champagne in cooking. "I've been cooking with verjus for a while," says Citrin, whose family is from Brittany. It has a tart, applelike flavor, making it a delicious ingredient to build a sauce around.

Citrin makes a quick, easy sauce of verjus, honey and five-spice powder. Black pepper or soy sauce can be added; reduce until syrupy, and finish it with butter. Spoon it over sauteed cod or chicken.