France September 2017

ABOVE: Vineyards in the Champagne region; BELOW RIGHT: Avenue de Champagne in Épernay; ABOVE RIGHT: A sculpture in the cellars of Veuve Clicquot
journey sees us swapping breakfast in
London (goodbye Pret À Manger
porridge) for an early déjeuner in Paris
(hello croque-monsieurs). After
a ten-minute stroll from the Gare du
Nord to the Gare de l’Est, we are soon
on a TGV, speeding 45 minutes eastwards
to Reims, alongside rows of vines and the
gentle rippling of the River Marne.
Reims is the biggest city in the
champagne wine-producing area and
became part of Grand-Est in the shake-up
of the French regions last year. Much of
it had to be rebuilt after the devastation
of World War I. We admire the resulting
art-deco facades during a ten-minute
amble from the railway station to the
hotel. Like its neighbours, the familyowned
Hôtel de la Paix flaunts its curved
corners and mosaic tiling. Better yet, it
is home to a trendy champagne bar
favoured by Reims’s jeunesse dorée.
Our first flute of bubbles, on the
outdoor sipping terrace, puts us in the
mood to explore.
The following morning, we hire
a bike from the hotel and cycle to the
Cathédrale Notre-Dame, with its dazzling
stained-glass windows created by Marc
Chagall in 1974. It was on this site that
29 French kings were crowned between
the 11th and 19th centuries.
However, the bubbles soon lure us
across town to Les Crayères, former
chalk quarries that are now used as
cellars by famous champagne houses
including Mumm and Taittinger.
Little wonder: the 200 kilometres of
subterranean tunnels are ideal for
storing champagne, maintaining
a perfect 11-12°C temperature and
90-95 per cent humidity.
Cellar tour
We opt for a crash course in champagne
history through Veuve Clicquot’s
‘Footsteps of Madame Clicquot’ walking
tour. Established in 1772 and taken over
by the widow (veuve) Clicquot in 1805,
the champagne house is now one of the
world’s most recognised brands.
Our toddlers are strapped into slings
during the chilly cellar tour, where staff
take time out from their chores to explain
why they use three dominant grapes
(chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot
meunier) and how a double fermentation
gives the drink its unique fizz. Best of all,
the slowly ageing Yellow Label bottles we
witness en route can be bought directly in
the boutique for far less than in the UK.
Eurostar allows passengers to travel with
six bottles of wine per adult.
Next day, we take the 25-minute train
journey to Épernay – Champagne’s
cultural hub and unofficial capital. Our
two little boys are enchanted by the
picture windows that take in tiled village
rooftops pierced with sharp steeples and
a chequerboard of gently rolling vineyards.
Unlike most wine regions of France,
Champagne’s vines are sectioned out into
petite family-held parcels. It is not
uncommon for countryside plots to be
owned by the local pharmacist or the
46 FRANCE MAGAZINE www.completefrance.com