The Wine Insider: Champagne Issue

Each month in The Wine Insider we will highlight one of our destination wine regions and share some interesting tidbits of information about it's wines. Make sure to check out our Tips, Parings and Facts on the right hand side of the page.

Visiting the Champagne Region

About 90 minutes by car, or less than an hour by the new TGV high-speed train line, Champagne is one of the closest wine regions to France's capital, and well worth a visit.

France's royalty demonstrated their enthusiasm for this region even before the bubbles had appeared in Champagne's bottles; from the time of King Clovis who was baptized there in 498, Reims cathedral was the preferred location for the kings and queens of France to be crowned. Even Jean d'Arc managed to get Charles VII crowned here, before she met her own untimely end in Rouen.

Reims itself goes back far beyond the time of Clovis, and some of the most interesting remnants are the chalk mines of the Gallo-Roman period, which descend deep into the ground around the city. Some of the most impressive wine aging caves in the world are found here, such as Pommery, Ruinart and Taittinger, whose cellars are built from these conical excavations dating back to the 2nd Century AD.

Epernay, about 20 minutes south of Reims, is a small town but many of the major champagne houses are located here, particularly along the "Champagne Alley" that runs through the center of town. Aside from the famous large houses, there are many small independent Champagne producers, whose wine is often known only to connoisseurs and represents some of the most interesting - and often best value - champagnes. Most of these are located in small, picturesque villages on the rolling hills of this beautiful region, and some can be quite a challenge to find!

Although Champagne is not part of the Burgundy region, it shares the same chardonnay and pinot noir varietals, as well as pinot gris. Blanc de blanc champagne is made from just chardonnay grapes whereas blanc de noir is white champagne made from pinot noir - the color is removed by filtration during the winemaking process. Rosé champagnes of course also use the pinot noir grape to give them their pink color.

Champagne is made by fermenting grapes to produce still wine which is then blended and aged as it would be in any other wine region - the difference in Champagne of course is the bubbles! These are created by a second yeast fermentation which is achieved by adding a small "dose" of sugar syrup to the bottle of wine. The fine lees (dead yeast cells) produced by this second fermentation are gradually worked to the neck of the bottle by the famous riddling process. Traditionally this was done manually, with a quarter turn of the bottle each day, as it was gradually tilted from the horizontal to vertical position. These days riddling is almost always done by machine except for some very special cuvees.

Champagnes are named according to their degree of sweetness, and it is the amount of sugar in the dosage that determines the type of champagne - demi-sec is the sweetest, sec (dry) is less sweet and brut is what we think of as dry champagne, but there is also extra brut which is even drier. Brut is actually the term the French gave to champagne ordered by the British in the 19th century because they considered it too dry for a refined palette and only suitable for the "brutish" Englishman's taste.

In especially good years Champagne producers have the option to declare a vintage, but for non-vintage wine the production from different years and different vineyards is blended by the cellarmaster to produce a consistent style of the house. Thus, the production can be continued throughout the year as the market demands, and the consumer can always rely on the character of his favorite brand.

One of the most unique wine-growing regions of the world, with history, delightful countryside and villages and the world's most popular festive beverage, Champagne is an easily-accessible region that any wine lover finds hard to resist when in Paris!

A Tour in Champagne, France

About 90 minutes by car, or less than an hour by the new TGV high-speed train line, Champagne, one of the most unique wine-growing regions of the world, with history, delightful countryside and villages and the world's most popular festive beverage, Champagne, is an easily-accessible region that any wine lover finds hard to resist when in Paris! Must sees include the Champagne Houses of the sacred and historical cities of Reims and Epernay, the "Commercial capital of Champagne - the wine" boasts that L'Avenue de Champagne is the most expensive in the world - more so than the Champs-Élysées in Paris, Fifth Avenue in NY and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. It derives its name and fame from the presence of of the millions of bottles of champagne stored in the kilometres of chalk cellars beneath it.

Your Champagne WineWorld adventure includes:

• 4 days & 3 Nights hotel in shared double/twin room and local taxes
• Breakfast daily (3)
• 1 Gourmet dinner at your hotel (wine not included)
• 1 Tasting lunch at a champagne producer
• 4 Winery visits
• All Champagne tasting fees
• Artisan visit - Escargot Farm at Bouzy - "elevage des grands crus" visit to breeding grounds, history, tasting with champagne.

And to make this adventure a luxurious and most satisfying experience we will arrange for your comfort at your choice of Hotel l'Assiette Champenoise is located just a few minutes from the center of Reims, set in a peaceful 4 acre park. The hotel boasts "refined luxury and gourmet indulgence" and the acclaimed restaurant is one of Champagne's finest. Or...you can experience Hotel Les Crayeres - everyone should once in their life. It is the top-rated hotel in the Champagne region, and one of the very best in the whole of France. The Michelin-starred restaurant is famous world-wide, and Parisiens regularly make the trip out here just for dinner. The hotel is situated in its own wooded park, is extremely exclusive and the service is exquisite. There is no better place to stay!

Self Drive Program priced from $1,719.00 per person double occupancy but can be as low as $1,649.00 based on the number of travelers in your party.

Chauffeur Program priced from $3,029.00 per person double occupancy but can be as low as $1,999.00.