Long Weekend in Champagne
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2001 Champagne
We spent a nuch-needed long weekend (Thursday to Monday) touring
the Champagne region. Our travel and accomodation was organised
through Great
Escapes, and we were very impressed by the standard of their
service and of the two hotels they found for us. Thoroughly recommend
them. They provide a huge information pack with the booking, including
a basic (but adequate) map of France, leaflets and directions
for the hotels and a brochure describing seven well signposted
trails through the heart of Champagne. The Champagne region is
not especially hilly, and there are plenty of quiet minor roads
to explore, so it looks ideal for a cycling holiday. Maybe next
year.
Of course, since this trip, France together with 11 other EU nations has dropped its local currency (French Franc, FFr) in favour of the Euro. 1 Euro = 6.56 Francs.
Champage Houses
There are a huge number of champagne houses all over the region,
but many of the "big names" are in Reims. Most offer
tours although sometimes you may have to book in advance, and
most charge an entrance fee (but this does normally get you a
glass to sample at the end). We visitied four of the "big
names", three in Reims and one in Epernay, as well as a much
smaller family-run business at the very southernmost tip of the
region about 45 minutes drive south-east of Troyes.
- Tour cost 30 FFr each.
- One (small) glass at the end.
- Comfortable tasting room, no rush.
- We tasted the Cordon Rouge (brut) and the Carte Classique.
The Carte Classique is produced primarily for the American export
market, and bizarrely is described as "extra dry" although
it is the sweetest champage that Mumm produce.
- Worth a visit? Yes.
- Tour cost 60 FFr each, but included
3 tastings.
- Tour is via an automated "ride" with a commentary
in a choice of languages.
- Tasting room set up like a very plush bar, no rush at all.
- Tasted their Brut, Vintage Brut and Rose - the Vintage Brut
is drier than the non-vintage, and the Rose is quite full-bodied
for a rose.
- Worth a visit? Definitely, if only for the tasting.
- Tour cost 35 FFr each.
- One glass at the end, in a room with very few chairs (they
obviously want to get rid of you quickly!).
- Worth a visit? Very interesting tour, poor tasting and shop.
- Tour cost 40 FFr each.
- Very large group.
- Hot underground sample room, not the nicest atmosphere.
- Worth a visit? Interesting tour but poor tasting room.
- Oh yes, and don't forget that you are supposed to pronounce
the 't' on the end of Moet - it's not MoAY and Chandon!
- No website unfortunately.
- Family firm - this postcard shows (left - right) three generations
of champagne makers - Rene, Herve and Pierre-Eric Jolly.
- Tour free but by appointment only (organised via our hotel
Le Relais St Jean in Troyes).
- Given a very interesting tour by Pierre-Eric Jolly, Rene's
grandson who produced his
first cuvee (blend) last year. It'll be ready for drinking
in 2005 - can't wait! We were very lucky as it happens because
not only were we the only people on the tour, but they had just
had a brand new
grape press installed (only the second of its kind in France),
and had help a grand opening party the previous night. So we
were the first visitors to see it, primed and ready for action
(the harvest would start about 3 weeks after our visit). This
was the only place where you could see the whole process from
grape through to bottled wine in one place - pressing the grapes,
the first fermentation (large
vats), second fermentation
(after blending) in bottles, "riddling" in racks called
pupitres to move
the sediment into the bottle neck, disgorgement
, corking and labelling, sealed
bottles for quality control, the Champagne
Regulations Manual and finally, the shop.
- We also discovered that you can buy Rene Jolly champagne
in the UK, at Chiddingstone Vineyard near Edenbridge in Kent.
So, if you fancy a trip to Champagne, do go and visit one or
two of the big names, but take the time to discover some of the
smaller places as well - it's worth the effort.
