Champagne Country!

Last night we slept in the Best Western Hotel Centre Reims. Two stars max, competes for the worst holiday hotel with the Ibis Styles in Caen. One more night!

Today we went on a day trip hosted by Chloé. We shared a very comfortable and spotless minivan with two Australians and four Americans.

Reims is the centre of the champagne region of France, so the tour planned to visit the champagne house Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, and a number of small family-run champagne producers.

We began with Veuve Clicquot, not the oldest firm in the industry (1772) but the first to export champagne to countries outside France (Australia 1859, New Zealand 1870).

A VCP guide took us down 250m into the company’s enormous cellars, with racks of bottles in every corner. These crayères had once been Roman chalk mines, and were a godsend for the population in WWI, when 80% of Reims was destroyed.

The name VCP comes from Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (1777-1866), a remarkable woman who married Francois Clicquot, son of a textile and wine producer in Reims. Seven years later Francois died, and after some back and forth his widow (veuve in French) took over the business, that became Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin (VCP). She is credited with a number of breakthroughs in champagne production and marketing. She was the first woman in France to own a business in her own name.

Our guide took us through the major stages of champagne making, explaining that VCP uses three main grape varieties in their champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier. Tastings of 4 wonderful champagnes followed.

After this great visit, we moved on to the village of Hautvilliers, and the formerly Benedictine abbey church of Notre Dame de Chêne, where Dom Perignon, the monk who invented champagne, is buried.

As an ex-monk myself I was very taken by the richly carved choir stalls. Also a statue of Joan of Arc.

Next, Chloé took us to Épernay, for a breathtaking view over the valley of the river Marne. Épernay is one the 19 villages authorised to make champagne. This work is very labour intensive (for example, the grapes must be handpicked). 110,000 seasonal workers come to the region each year.

Next stop was the Collard-Milesi medium-sized vineyard. Lunch was very welcome by now (1400.!)

The lunch was very good, and we both ate heartily (plus another champagne, a Pinot Noir - not a patch on Central Otago - and a lovely dessert wine).

Last stop was a small family business - Champagne Cordoin Didierlaurent - that is now in its fourth generation. Three more tastings, then into the minivan, and home. Phew!!

Another great day!Leia mais