Champagne
No wine name is quite as evocative as champagne. The very word conjures up images of luxury, frivolity and romance. Yet despite this, and despite the fact that it is the most expensive wine that most of us ever buy, very few people fully understand it. This is surprising, given that Champagne is the nearest wine region to the UK, and a weekend visit to the area is both easily organised and hugely rewarding.
The vignoble champenois covers some 35,000 hectares (70,000 acres) of land some 75 miles northeast of Paris, and is France’s most northerly vineyard region. This means that the climate here is considered as marginal in terms of grape growing and successful ripening of grapes in the area relies on the weather being kind, and on the favourable aspect of the vineyards. It is this cool climate, together with the geography and geology of the region that makes Champagne so special.
The vineyards of Champagne are planted on an outcrop of limestone, which is the southern lip of a vast saucer of limestone whose northern outcrop is the South Downs in England. The heartland of Champagne is the area around the towns of Reims and Epernay, and this is divided into three distinct regions.
The most northerly of these is the Montagne de Reims (actually not much of a mountain, but rather a forest-capped hill), which is crucial to the production of one of champagne’s principal grape varieties, Pinot Noir. This notoriously difficult, dark-skinned grape would not ripen in such northerly latitudes were it not for the southerly aspect of the vineyard slopes on this ‘mountain’.
Immediately to the south lies the Valley of the Marne, which adds its own unique contribution to the complex blend that is champagne. It is home to the second of champagne’s varietal triumvirate, Pinot Meunier, a variety rarely found outside the region. The main reason for its importance here lies in the fact that it is a late-flowering variety, and is therefore largely unaffected by the spring frosts which descend into the valley from the surrounding hills, destroying the potential crop on earlier-ripening vines.
The third region consists of the slopes stretching away to the south of the valley. This is the Côte des Blancs, home to the Chardonnay grape, so vital to the production of champagne.
These three regions and these three grape varieties lie at the heart of classic champagne, and whilst all three grapes may be grown in any of the regions, they perform at their best in the areas described above. Although some producers make single varietal champagnes, the majority make blended wines, with each grape variety bringing its own individual character to the mix: Chardonnay produces wines with elegance and finesse; Pinot Noir gives structure and power, while Pinot Meunier adds fruit character.
The champagne process is both complicated and fascinating and a visit to the region would be incomplete without a tour of one of the major Champagne Houses, where you can learn how champagne is made, and then taste the finished product. A visit to the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay is a must. Here, in one half-mile stretch, are the imposing headquarters of many of the most famous names in Champagne.
A honeycomb of tunnels and galleries extends for miles beneath both Epernay and Reims, providing a home for millions of bottles of champagne. Possibly the most interesting cellars are those of Taittinger in Reims, some parts dating back to Roman times, others remnants of the church of St Nicaise which was destroyed during the French revolution.
It is worthwhile visiting both large and small Champagne Houses: a tour around a giant complex such as Mercier, whose cellars extend to some 17 kilometres, with visitors taken around by train,is a very different experience to visiting one of the small artisan producers like our own Maison Lenique or Comte de Lantage.
With the multitude of small, medium and large Champagne Houses open to visitors, it is possible to spend a long weekend in the region focussing solely on wine. However, for those needing a break from the rigours of the cellar, there are plenty of other things to do.
The pedestrianised centre of Reims is perfect for a quiet stroll, while selecting which bistro to choose for lunch. At the heart of this area is the beautiful cathedral, with its stunning stained-glass window by Chagall. Over the centuries this Gothic masterpiece has seen 25 Kings of France crowned. Even older than the cathedral is the Basilica of St Remi, where the saint, who had baptized Clovis, the first Christian king of France, was buried in 533.
Two World Wars have taken their toll on many of the buildings of Reims. The cathedral was used as a range finder for German artillery during the First World War, and still bears the scars, but fortunately the Porte Mars survives as evidence of Roman occupation.
The entire region has been used as a battleground by invading armies for centuries and it seems that everyone from Attila the Hun to Adolf Hitler has occupied Champagne at some point. Even as battles raged, harvesting and tending of the vines continued, and many vignerons were killed while working their vines.
On a ridge on the Montagne de Reims, just outside the village of Verzenay stands a windmill, which enjoys panoramic views across the Marne Valley. During World War I it was used as an observation post, though nowadays its current owners, Heidsieck Monopole, use it as an atmospheric venue for receptions. Below this stands the lighthouse of Verzenay, which now houses a wine museum, and nearby is the Faux de Verzy, an eerie section of forest, where mutated beech trees form phantasmagoric shapes.
From Verzenay you can follow one of the many wine routes through the charming little villages of the mountain and wind your way towards Epernay. Amore direct route is to take the N51 overthe wooded mountaintop, which has the advantage of giving you a spectacular view down into the Marne Valley, and towards the abbey of Hautvillers. Hautvillers was home to Dom Perignon, the ‘father of champagne’, and is now a museum telling the story of the development of champagne. (Be warned – the abbey now belongs to Moët & Chandon, and the story is told from that perspective.)
From Epernay you can follow another wine route along the Valley of the Marne, but if you want to get out from behind the steering wheel, there is the possibility of exploring the Marne Valley by boat: the good ship Champagne Valley sets sail from Cumières for cruises along the river. Alternatively, stroll around the open-air museum, the Maison Champenoise, at Oeuilly. This time-warp village depicts the life of wine growers since the 18th century. The village school has been preserved as it was in 1900, and every year the village holds a 1900 festival with locals attired in period dress.
In the Côte de Blancs there are myriad beautiful little villages worthy of a visit, many of them whose renown in the wine world far outweighs their size. Cramant, with its 8-metre high champagne bottle; Avize, where local winemakers are trained; the flower-lined village of Oger, reputed to be one of the most beautiful in France, and also home to the Museum of Traditions and Weddings; nearby Mesnil-sur-Oger, amongst the most famous of wine villages due to the incomparable Clos de Mesnil vineyard, though it also has a charming wine and vineyard museum.
With so much to see and so many Champagne Houses to discover, just one weekend in Champagne is hardly enough to do it justice. What better excuse to become a frequent visitor to this most special of wine-making regions?
Andrew Williams