Filed under: Champagne, food, top-feature, wine
Valentine’s Day and Champagne
Sparkling wine is a traditional toast to love, and where better to sip vintage bubbly than in Champagne, France! After all, European Union law reserves the term “Champagne” exclusively for wines that come from this region located about 100 miles east of Paris.
Let me point out that Champagne is not made from champagne grapes. In fact, there isn’t even a variety of grapes called “champagne”. Champagne is a particular kind of wine, produced in a particular way, in a particular region of France using different blends of three particular kinds of grapes — specifically, chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.
Vintners will tell you that it’s the chalky subsoil deposited in the Mesozoic era that provides the perfect growing region for these grapes to produce champagne, combined with the annual average growing temperature of slightly less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This combination happens in its Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, a specifically delineated region of northeastern France comprising about 80,000 acres.
The best-known town in the region is Reims (map), an ancient Gallo-Roman city. It’s here that Clovis was first baptized and then crowned the first Merovingian king – and, therefore, the first French king – in 498. It’s here, too, that Charles VII was crowned in 1429, thanks to the intervention of St. Joan of Arc. In all, 33 French sovereigns received their crowns in its cathedral.
A fun way to visit is to join a tour on the weekend before Valentine’s Day — February 11-13, 2011 — arranged by Grape Escapes. Based in Reims, it includes tastings and tours of several wineries, dinner and accommodations. Of course, you’ll also get a bottle of Champagne in your hotel room on arrival and have the chance to learn the ancient art of sabrage — removing the top of a Champagne bottle with a sword!
But, then, you can wander from cellar to cellar yourself, like I did. Stop in at Champagne Drappier near Urville (map) and you’ll find the eighth generation of the Drappier family racking bottles in cellars originally established by Cisterian monks in the 12th century.
If you visit the much smaller Champagne Guy de Forez, near Les Riceys south of Troyes (map), be prepared to be surprised. Forget everything you’ve heard about American-made sparkling rosé and taste their Vin Rosé de Riceys. Cold Duck was never this good!
One of the best-known champagnes (at least to Americans) is Veuve Clicquot, with tasting rooms located in Reims. Its distinctive yellow-gold label is instantly recognizable worldwide.
Established in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot, the business was substantially expanded by his daughter-in-law following the death of his son, François (Veuve Clicquot translates as “Widow Clicquot”). A stickler for perfection, she invented the first riddling table, so that the yeast sediment could be concentrated in the necks of the bottles and removed before the final aging.
When I was wandering the region, my favorite stop was right in the center of Épernay (map) with the unusual name of C Comme Champagne de Propriétaire. In order for a vineyard to justify tours or tastings, their production must be at a certain level (so most don’t bother). The owner of this shop, Frédéric Dricot, markets more than 200 varieties of champagne from four dozen or so of the smallest producers – those too small to sell directly to visitors.
His place is a champagne shop with extras. You can taste first and then buy what you like. The shop set up almost like a nightclub, with groups of lipstick red leather chairs and couches arranged around black circular tables. Halogen lighting and dance club music add to the mood. It’s open from 10 a.m. ‘til midnight seven days a week, with tastings – or just a glass of your favorite bubbly – available whenever you want.
As Dricot notes, at the end of a tasting, you know the “style” of champagne you like best, and his staff can then point you toward the producers who make similar wines.
As long as you’re in Champagne, however, don’t miss the opportunity to dine at Château Les Crayères. This Michelin two-star restaurant in Reims has a magnificent selection of champagnes and an exquisite cuisine (of course) but also a setting to be savored. Built in 1904, it was once the location of Champagnes Pommery. Seven acres of gardens surround the château, which now houses a restaurant as well as a Relais & Châteaux hotel.
Keep in mind that it’s really easy to get to Champagne from Paris, now that the TGV routes have expanded in France. The route from Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport whisks you to Reims in just a half an hour (the stop is called TGV Champagne-Ardenne). There also are links to other major cities in France, plus London, Amsterdam and a dozen other European cities. Once you arrive, renting a car is the easiest way to get from town to town and winery to winery.
(Photo by Susan McKee)
