Veuve Clicquot: the effervescent widow who gave us the champagne lifestyle

Married in a cellar and given Dom Pérignon’s book by the priest, Madame Clicquot’s verve made her business a success

The truth about alcohol, from gin tears to champagne hangovers

Do different drinks have different effects on your mood, why do funny-coloured drinks make you more drunk and what causes the worse hangovers?

Koalas face extinction without stronger protection, say conservationists

Federal environment department says a recovery plan is in development, but conservationists warn the vulnerable koala needs urgent action

Champagne is all a matter of taste – but the taste doesn’t really matter

Experts are saying that upmarket champagne tastes better out of a normal wine glass than out of a flute – is this the new shape of alpha snobbery?

Six must dos for successful luxury goods marketing

From Ferrari’s belief in high performance to Le Labo’s personalised perfume, here’s what makes a successful luxury brand

Sweet in the middle: map reveals Americans’ art tastes, state by state

A new map made by eBay shows the most searched-for artists by its US customers – and it seems that in the midwest, all Americans want for Christmas is the corny, cosy art of Terry Redlin