The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Las Vegas NV, as the world welcomed 2025, tragic attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas cast a shadow over celebrations, raising significant concerns about public safety. Both incidents are under investigation as authorities assess potential connections to terrorist organizations and motives behind the coordinated assaults.
Continue reading New Year Terror Attacks Spark Security Concerns
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the most frequent New Year’s resolutions tend to revolve around self-improvement, health, and well-being. While individual resolutions vary, some common themes include:
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
NEWARK, NJ – NJ TRANSIT is offering extra service this holiday season. Customers will have more travel options and flexibility for attending special events, family gatherings and other festivities.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Planning to do better in 2022? You’re in the minority, as most Americans won’t be making New Year’s resolutions, but those who do expect to keep them.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 44% of American Adults say they will make any New Year’s resolutions this year. Forty-three percent will not make New Year’s resolutions, while another 13% aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The American Lung Association reminds the public that e-cigarettes, or vaping, is not quitting smoking
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Along with hitting the gym more often and starting a diet, quitting smoking tops many New Year’s resolution lists. There are 873,600 smokers in New Jersey and more than 63% tried to quit last year. New ads from e-cigarettes companies would have those smokers falsely believe that switching to vaping is quitting smoking. The American Lung Association is reminding Pennsylvanians that the Food and Drug Administration has not found any e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit.
Continue reading Ready to Quit Smoking? “Quit, Don’t Switch” to E-Cigarettes
![nyc-times-square-new-year-eve[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nyc-times-square-new-year-eve1.jpg "NJ Transit Updates for New Years Eve and Day")
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,On Monday, December 30, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule with certain morning peak period trains cancelled and additional mid-to-late morning trains operating on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines. Rail customers are encouraged to visit njtransit.com and check rail timetables for details and travel before 9 a.m. on these days, if possible, when ridership is lighter. Buses and light rail lines will operate on a weekday schedule. Select PABT bus routes will have more frequent service operating inbound to PABT on some lines during the late morning hours and outbound from PABT during the early and late evening hours. Consult timetable or visit njtransit.com/Bus Holiday Service Guide for details.
Continue reading NJ Transit Updates for New Years Eve and Day
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, according to the Ridgewood Chamber of commerce the restaurants that will be open for New Year’s Eve.
Please call the restaurant ahead of time to check when the kitchen will be closing and to make a reservation. We apologize ahead of time if we missed anybody. Happy New Year!!
Finca- open until 10:00pm- Open Christmas Day as well from 12-8pm
Latour- open until 8pm
The Office- weekend hours open until 1:00am
Park West Tavern- open until 1:00am
Piccolo Bistro- open until 10pm
Raymond’s- open until 4:00pm
Roots- open until 11pm
Steel Wheel Tavern- dinner until 8pm
The Pearl- Reservations are 4:00, 6:00, 8:00 and 10:00pm
Tito’s – open until 6:00pm
Truly Sichuan- open until 10pm
White Maple Café- open until 10pm
photo by Tracy F
January 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Monday night’s rare ‘wolf moon’ had promised to be one of the biggest and brightest supermoons of the year . It delivered as promised and lit up the sky across the United States following its appearance in Europe and Asia.
The New Year supermoon, also known as a ‘wolf moon,’ made particularly stunning appearances from New York to Las Vegas as the sun set on the first day of 2018.
Supermoons happen when a full moon approximately coincides with the moon’s perigee, or a point in its orbit at which it is closest to Earth.
December 30 ,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT is offering extra service for New Year’s Eve and early morning New Year’s Day to give customers additional travel options as they enjoy the festivities to ring in 2018 with family and friends.
NJ TRANSIT’s money-saving Family SuperSaver fare, which allows up to two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying customer, remains in effect. Usually limited to weekends, the Family SuperSaver Fare has been extended and will be in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday, January 2, on all trains, buses and light rail lines.
“This is traditionally a time to enjoy special events in our region and many visitors are using NJ TRANSIT to get where they need to go,’’ said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Steven H. Santoro. “NJ TRANSIT is pleased to offer the Family SuperSaver Fare, which allows our customers to stretch their holiday budgets just a bit. So leave the car behind and use NJ TRANSIT to go the mall, get into New York City or gather at a loved one’s home during this busy season.’’
IMPORTANT NOTE: NJ TRANSIT is prohibiting all beverages on all of its trains, light rail vehicles and buses on Sunday, December 31, 2017, and the early morning hours of Monday, January 1, 2018. This policy will be strictly enforced.
For complete schedule and fare information, customers may visit njtransit.com or call 973-275-5555.
“The Commuter Tool Kit – The Tools You Need for a Better Travel Experience’’ is a colorful campaign designed for both the everyday commuter and visitor travelling on
NJ TRANSIT’s rail, bus, light rail and Access Link systems. Several features such as the mobile app, trip planner, ticket purchase options, travel information and travel savings are highlighted in the campaign. The brochure is printed in both English and Spanish.
The Commuter Tool Kit is available in brochure form, on the NJ TRANSIT website, in digital displays and delivered through the agency’s social media channels.
Customers can also take advantage of other ways to save money. NJ TRANSIT works with promotional partners throughout the year to offer discounts to many entertainment venues. Customers can go to njtransit.com/deals for special offers on show tickets, admission costs and travel this holiday season.
Today Saturday, December 30, trains will operate on a weekend schedule. Buses will operate on a Saturday schedule with extra inbound service to New York. Consult timetable or visit njtransit.com to view the Bus Holiday Service Guide for details. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River LINE will operate on a weekend schedule. Consult njtransit.com for more information.
On New Year’s Eve, Sunday, December 31, trains will operate on a weekend schedule. In the evening, there will be extra train service to New York. Extra train service will be in place to New York and Hoboken from approximately 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. Meadowlands service will be in place for the Giants vs. Redskins game at 1 p.m. Special printable schedules that cover the period from 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning are available at njtransit.com. Rail travel information for New Year’s Eve is also available via the Trip Planner and Station-to-Station features on njtransit.com.
Buses will operate on a Sunday schedule with additional early evening service inbound and extra outbound service from PABT after midnight on selected routes. Customers are advised to consult timetables or visit njtransit.com to view the Bus Holiday Service Guide for more details.
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule with additional trips operating between Tonnelle Avenue and Hoboken beginning at approximately 5 p.m. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Sunday schedule. River LINE will operate on a Saturday schedule. River LINE and Hudson Bergen Light Rail will both operate additional service after the New Year festivities during the early hours of January 1. Specific trip information will be available on njtransit.com.
After midnight (early January 1), additional late-night trains will operate on most rail lines with one-seat ride service available on certain Raritan Valley Line and North Jersey Coast Line trains until approximately 5 a.m. Some trains that normally depart New York/Hoboken/Newark between midnight and 1 a.m. are cancelled and will be replaced with later trains. After 5 a.m., trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule after. Customers should visit njtransit.com for details, including special printable schedules that cover the period from 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning. Expanded bus service will be provided from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) until approximately 2 a.m. Some routes will be departing from alternate areas within the PABT. Visit njtransit.com to view the Bus Holiday Service Guide for specific schedule details and departure gate assignments.
On New Year’s Day, Monday, January 1, after 5 a.m., trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule. Bus service will vary by route. River LINE will operate on a Sunday schedule. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Sunday schedule. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Bus service will vary by route. Customers are advised to visit njtransit.com for details.
December 20,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT is offering extra service for the upcoming holidays to give customers more travel options for last-minute shopping at the mall, leaving work early or attending New Year’s Eve festivities.
In addition, NJ TRANSIT is giving customers almost two weeks of continuous savings through a special extension of the Family SuperSaver Fare, which allows up to two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying customer. Usually limited to weekends, the Family SuperSaver Fare will be in effect for the entire holiday period, starting at 7 p.m. Friday, December 22 until 6 a.m. Tuesday, January 2, on all trains, buses and light rail lines.
“This is the time of year when so many special events take place and many visitors are using NJ TRANSIT to get where they need to go,’’ said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Steven H. Santoro. “NJ TRANSIT is pleased to offer the Family SuperSaver Fare, which allows our customers to stretch their holiday budgets just a bit. So leave the car behind and use NJ TRANSIT to go the mall, get into New York City or gather at a loved one’s home without the hassle of driving.’’
For complete schedule and fare information, customers may visit njtransit.com or call 973-275-5555.
“The Commuter Tool Kit – The Tools You Need for a Better Travel Experience’’ is a colorful campaign designed for both the everyday commuter and visitor travelling on
NJ TRANSIT’s rail, bus, light rail and Access Link systems. Several features such as the mobile app, trip planner, ticket purchase options, travel information and travel savings are highlighted in the campaign. The brochure is printed in both English and Spanish.
The Commuter Tool Kit is available in brochure form, on the NJ TRANSIT website, in digital displays and delivered through the agency’s social media channels.
Customers can also take advantage of other ways to save money. NJ TRANSIT works with promotional partners throughout the year to offer discounts to many entertainment venues. Customers can go to njtransit.com/deals for special offers on show tickets, admission costs and travel this holiday season.
Friday, December 22
NJ TRANSIT will operate on a weekday schedule on most lines with additional “early getaway” service from New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal starting at 1 p.m. on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex and Port Jervis lines. On the Pascack Valley Line, regular Friday getaway service will operate. Newark Light Rail, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River LINE will operate on a weekday schedule. Buses will operate on a weekday schedule on all routes, with early getaway service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and on selected Jersey City waterfront routes starting around noon until 4 p.m. to accommodate the heaviest travel. Visit njtransit.com for details.
Saturday, December 23
NJ TRANSIT trains will operate on a weekend schedule. Most bus routes will operate on a Saturday schedule. Newark Light Rail and River LINE will operate on a Saturday schedule. HBLR will operate on a weekend schedule. Customers should consult their timetable for the holiday schedule or visit njtransit.com for details.
Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24
NJ TRANSIT trains will operate on a weekend schedule on all rail lines. In addition, Meadowlands service will operate for the Jets vs. Chargers game at 1 p.m. Newark Light Rail and River LINE will operate on a Sunday schedule. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Most buses will operate on a Sunday schedule. Customers are advised to consult their timetable for the holiday schedule or visit njtransit.com for details.
Christmas Day, Monday, December 25
NJ TRANSIT trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on all lines. Newark Light Rail and River LINE will operate on a Sunday schedule. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Bus schedules vary by route. Customers can check timetables online at www.njtransit.com. Select bus routes will operate fewer trips during the traditional morning and evening peak periods. Customers are advised to consult their timetable for holiday schedules or visit njtransit.com for more details.
On Tuesday, December 26, Wednesday, December 27, Thursday, December 28 and Friday, December 29, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule with certain morning peak period trains cancelled and additional mid-to-late morning service on each line. Rail customers are encouraged to visit njtransit.com and check rail timetables for details and travel before 9 a.m. on these days, if possible, when ridership is lighter. Buses and light rail lines will operate on a weekday schedule. Selected PABT bus routes will have more frequent service operating inbound to PABT on some lines during the late morning hours and outbound from PABT during the early and late evening hours. Consult timetable or visit njtransit.com/Bus Holiday Service Guide for details.
On Saturday, December 30, trains will operate on a weekend schedule. Buses will operate on a Saturday schedule with extra inbound service to New York. Consult timetable or visit njtransit.com/Bus Holiday Service Guide for details. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River LINE will operate on a weekend schedule. Consult njtransit.com for more information.
On New Year’s Eve, Sunday, December 31, trains will operate on a weekend schedule. In the evening, there will be extra train service to New York. Extra train service will be in place to New York and Hoboken from approximately 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. Meadowlands service will be in place for the Giants vs. Redskins game at 1 p.m. Special printable schedules that cover the period from 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning will be available at njtransit.com during the week of December 18. Rail travel information for New Year’s Eve is also available via the Trip Planner and Station-to-Station features on njtransit.com.
Buses will operate on a Sunday schedule with extra early evening service inbound and extra outbound from PABT after midnight on selected routes. Customers are advised to consult timetables or visit njtransit.com/Bus Holiday Service Guide for more details.
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule with additional trips operating between Tonnelle Avenue and Hoboken beginning at approximately 5 p.m. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Sunday schedule. River LINE will operate on a Saturday schedule. River LINE and Hudson Bergen Light Rail will both operate additional service after the New Year festivities during the early hours of January 1. Specific trip information will be available on njtransit.com.
IMPORTANT NOTE: NJ TRANSIT is prohibiting all beverages on all of its trains, light rail vehicles and buses on Sunday, December 31, 2017, and the early morning hours of Monday, January 1, 2018. This policy will be strictly enforced.
After midnight (early January 1), additional late-night trains will operate on most rail lines with one-seat ride service available on certain Raritan Valley Line and North Jersey Coast Line trains until approximately 5 a.m. Some trains that normally depart New York/Hoboken/Newark between midnight and 1 a.m. are cancelled and will be replaced with later trains. After 5 a.m., trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule after. Customers should visit njtransit.com for details, including special printable schedules that cover the period from 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning (which will be available the week of December 18). Expanded bus service will be provided from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) until approximately 2 a.m. Some routes will be departing from alternate areas within the PABT. Visit njtransit.com/Bus Holiday Service Guide for specific schedule details and departure gate assignments.
On New Year’s Day, Monday, January 1, after 5 a.m., trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule. Bus service will vary by route. River LINE will operate on a Sunday schedule. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Bus service will vary by route. Customers are advised to visit njtransit.com for details.
Travel tips
Check Schedules in Advance: Plan your trip online to take advantage of extra trains and buses.
Travel Early: On December 26-29, NJ TRANSIT rail lines will operate on a modified weekday schedule. Avoid the crowds by traveling during the traditional peak-period (6-9 a.m.) when ridership is light.
Allow Extra Travel Time: Traffic congestion during the holidays may affect bus travel times to and from New York City, so customers should plan accordingly.
Ticketing: Purchase round-trip tickets at the start of your trip to speed your return and use the NJ TRANSIT mobile app, which is available for free download on any web-enabled iOS or Android device, to make the purchase even easier. To make a purchase, customers simply install the app and then create an account, which will securely save a customer’s profile information and purchase history for ease of use. Customers can also use ticket vending machines or see a ticket agent, if available, to avoid possible surcharges. Reminder: Bus customers departing Port Authority Bus Terminal must purchase tickets before boarding.
Luggage: Travel as light as possible. Passengers with luggage or packages should use the overhead racks or designated luggage spaces. On multilevel trains, customers with large bags should use the mezzanine levels at the ends of each car.
file photo by Archick
EXTRA SERVICE AND SAVINGS FOR HOLIDAY WEEK, INCLUDING DECEMBER 3
In addition, NJ TRANSIT is continuing their savings plans through a special extension of the Family SuperSaver Fare, which allows up to two children between the ages of 5 and 11 to travel free with each fare-paying customer. Up to three children age 4 and under can also travel free with a fare-paying customer. Usually limited to weekends, the Family SuperSaver Fare is now in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday, January 3, on all trains, buses and light rail lines.
“This is the time of year when so many special events take place and many visitors are using NJ TRANSIT to get where they need to go,’’ said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Steven H. Santoro. “NJ TRANSIT is pleased to offer the Family SuperSaver Fare, which allows our customers to stretch their holiday budgets just a bit. So leave the car behind and use NJ TRANSIT to go the mall, get into New York City or gather at a loved one’s home without the hassle of driving.’’
For complete schedule and fare information, customers may visit njtransit.com and click on the Holiday Early Getaway Service marquee or call 973-275-5555.
A new, key feature to aid customers this holiday season is “The Commuter Tool Kit – The Tools You Need for a Better Travel Experience,’’ a colorful campaign designed for both the everyday commuter and visitor travelling on NJ TRANSIT’s rail, bus, light rail and Access Link systems. Several features such as the mobile app, trip planner, ticket purchase options, travel information and travel savings are highlighted in the campaign. The brochure is printed in both English and Spanish.
The Commuter Tool Kit is available in brochure form and on the NJ TRANSIT website, in digital displays and delivered through the agency’s social media channels.
Customers can also take advantage of other ways to save money. NJ TRANSIT works with promotional partners throughout the year to offer discounts to many entertainment venues. Customers can go to njtransit.com/deals for special offers on show tickets, admission costs and travel this holiday season.
On Tuesday, December 27, Wednesday, December 28, Thursday, December 29 and Friday, December 30, the trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule with certain morning peak period trains cancelled and additional mid-to-late morning service on each line. Rail customers are encouraged to visit njtransit.com for details and travel before 9 a.m. on these days, if possible, when ridership is lighter. Buses and light rail lines will operate on a weekday schedule. Select PABT bus routes will have more frequent service operating inbound to PABT on some lines during the late morning hours and outbound from PABT during the early and late evening hours. Consult a timetable or visit njtransit.com/Bus Holiday Service Guide for details.
On New Year’s Eve, Saturday, December 31, trains will operate on a weekend schedule. In the evening, there will be extra train service to New York. Special printable schedules that cover the period from 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning are available at njtransit.com.
Buses will operate on a Saturday schedule with extra early evening service inbound and extra outbound from PABT after midnight on select routes. Customers are advised to consult a timetable or visit njtransit.com/Bus Holiday Service Guide for more details.
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Newark Light Rail and River LINE will operate on a Saturday schedule. River LINE and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will both operate some additional trips on a ‘load and go’ capacity after the fireworks displays during the early hours of January 1.
IMPORTANT NOTE: No open containers of alcohol will be permitted on board trains, buses or light rail vehicles or in any NJ TRANSIT facility on New Year’s Eve and after midnight on New Year’s Day. This policy will be strictly enforced.
After midnight (early January 1), additional late-night trains will operate on most rail lines with one-seat ride service available on certain Raritan Valley Line and North Jersey Coast Line trains. Some trains that normally depart New York/Hoboken/Newark between midnight and 1 a.m. are cancelled and will be replaced with later trains. Customers should visit njtransit.com for details, including special printable schedules that cover the period from 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning. Expanded bus service will be provided from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) until approximately 2 a.m. Some routes will be departing from alternate areas within the PABT. Visit njtransit.com/Bus Holiday Service Guide for specific schedule details and departure gate assignments.
On New Year’s Day, Sunday, January 1, after 5 a.m., trains will operate on a weekend schedule. In addition, Meadowlands service will operate for the Jets vs. Bills game. Customers should visit njtransit.com for more details. River LINE will operate on a Sunday schedule. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Buses will operate on a Sunday schedule. Customers are advised to visit njtransit.com for details.
On Monday, January 2 (observed), trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on all lines with additional morning and evening peak trains on most lines. Customers should visit njtransit.com for details. Most bus routes will operate on a Saturday schedule. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule. River LINE will operate on a Sunday schedule. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Consult njtransit.com for additional details.
Travel tips
Check Schedules in Advance: Plan your trip online to take advantage of extra trains and buses.
Travel Early: On December 27-30, NJ TRANSIT rail lines will operate on a modified weekday schedule. Avoid the crowds by traveling during the traditional peak-period (6-9 a.m.) when ridership is light.
Allow Extra Travel Time: Traffic congestion during the holidays may affect bus travel times to and from New York City, so customers should plan accordingly.
Ticketing: Purchase round-trip tickets at the start of your trip to speed your return and use the NJ TRANSIT mobile app, which is available for free download on any web-enabled iOS or Android device, to make the purchase even easier. To make a purchase, customers simply install the app and then create an account, which will securely save a customer’s profile information and purchase history for ease of use. Customers can also use ticket vending machines or see a ticket agent, if available, to avoid possible surcharges. Reminder: Bus customers departing Port Authority Bus Terminal must purchase tickets before boarding.
Champagne: A Bubbly History
By Nate Barksdale
During World War I the trenches of the Western Front ran right through the vineyards of Champagne, the historic French winemaking region 90 miles north of Paris. Between 1914 and 1918, heavy shelling uprooted row upon row of chardonnay and pinot noir vines, pruned short per the instructions of a 17th-century Benedictine monk named Dom Pérignon. Many of the region’s residents were driven underground by the fighting, hiding out in the limestone caves usually used for the storage and manufacture of the region’s signature sparkling wine. By the time the armistice was signed in 1918, a huge portion of Champagne’s vineyards had been destroyed.
All told, the devastation of the war amounted to only a minor setback in the improbable rise of Champagne’s signature product, the bubbly beverage synonymous with traditional celebrations, modern luxury and conspicuous consumption. Champagne the place had seen battles before (Attila the Hun, the Hundred Years’ War, the Franco-Prussian conflict) and would again (World War II) but from the mid-19th century through the present day, the biggest battles over Champagne the drink involved not soldiers, but lawyers, treaties, trademark officials and scores of angry French citizens. All this for a local drink whose signature feature—its fizz—is the very thing old Dom Pérignon spent much of his life trying to eliminate.
When wine has bubbles, it’s a sign that it has continued to ferment inside the bottle. For much of the history of viniculture, this was a no-no, a mark of wine gone bad, associated with murky, unstable and unpredictable vintages. Although a few vineyards had produced intentionally sparkling wine (as early as the 15th century in Limoux in the South of France), it was only in the late 1600s that bubbly from Champagne began to be produced and respected. Wines from Champagne had a tendancy to fizz because early frosts often led to incomplete fermentation during the manufacturing process. When things warmed the following spring, some of the wine would begin to sparkle. Fizzy Champagne, in fact, was popular among the well-to-do in Georgian England before it became so in the courts and chateaus of pre-Revolutionary France. Barrels of the stuff were shipped across the channel and bottled there. In the early 1600s, English coal-fired glassworks produced bottles far stronger than anything wood furnaces could manage. By 1740 molding techniques had arrived, which allowed for the production of identical bottles and standardized corks. Suddenly the fizz could be contained.
In 1815, another key innovation arrived from a Champagne producer known as the Widow Cliquot. Champagne’s in-bottle fermentation clouds the wine with dead yeast (early Champagne glasses were made mottled to help hide this effect). Getting rid of the yeast during manufacturing took an expert hand and spilled a lot of precious bubbly. Cliquot’s innovation was to turn the bottles neck-down and let the yeast settle in the neck in a process known as “remuage” or riddling. Once the murk was isolated, the bottleneck could be submerged in icy brine, freezing the bad bits into a floating plug of wine-debris that could then be removed before the remaining clear bubbly was sweetened and re-corked.
https://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/champagne-a-brief-and-bubbly-history