A Week in Champagne
7th July 2017
What I love about the wine region of Champagne is that it offers out so many different experiences that really keeps you learning and endlessly being impressed and amazed at what people can achieve with passion, drive and ambition.
During my 7 day visit in Epernay I was pleased to have a full agenda of many visits to Champagne houses across the immediate region from small family owned grower labels to those selling 100,000’s of bottles a year and proudly sitting on the Avenue de Champagne.
There is no mistaking Epernay when you are there and the importance that Champagne has for this emerging market town as on nearly every road you see something reminding you of what many call ‘The King of Wines‘. The centre of the town is where most of the action takes place and I am sure many glass of bubbly enjoyed throughout the year with the most charming and popular Avenue de Champagne being located centrally and luring countless thousands of people annually.
When it comes to sparkling wine then the Champagne region certainly contributes well to this sector of the industry and gives us many great examples of wine with a variety of aromas and tastes. Making Champagne is not a simple exercise and the overheads makers pay out is what really keeps this regions bubbly at prices which average more than 16€ a bottle and I do feel that even at this cost it offers tremendous value for money. Not including the bigger brands of Champagne producing many million bottles annually, you are usually guaranteed that what is inside your bottle is a succession of family traditions and history giving a unique tasting experience from both the producers using co-operative methods to make their wines to those doing all on site.
Another positive for the Champagne region is its achievement of the UNESCO status placing it amongst some of the finest places to visit in the world sitting alongside the likes of Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Taj Mahal and Stonehenge. This recent status will undoubtedly add to the regions economy revenues thus the continuation of investments and improvements to the likes of Epernay and its surrounding communities. During my stay I must say that each and every area that I travelled through and to were well kept and welcoming. These many villages hold communities of Champagne producers inviting tourists to stay at wonderful bed and breakfast spots within and amongst glorious fields of vines and even within the wine making houses themselves.
Want to sit back and relax, take in the calming and peaceful atmosphere, be enthralled by the rolling countryside full of pretty villages and fields of vines and taste your way through amazing wines and meet wonderful people then Champagne must be on your list of places to visit.
It is very hard, especially as a frequently visiting journalist to Champagne for Glass of Bubbly, to ever hold a favourite producer as each and every new place you visit holds something unique that you fall in love with which could be the taste of the wines, the location or simply the people making the wines. If anyone asks me if I have a favourite Champagne I usually prefer to say that I love a part of each and everyone I have visited to date.
The beauty of Champagne is that is gives a variety of tasting experiences from young and fruity to complex oak tasting vintages and you’ll experience the likes of brioche, nutty, citrus, coffee, cocoa, tropical fruits, smokey, chalk and much more – Most of the styles of wines enjoyed globally can be found in Champagne.
The methods of making Champagne, though strictly monitored, still combines many different methods to include usage of oak barrels, steel tanks and concrete eggs and let us not forget the many styles from extra brut to rosé.
There is new and old, traditional and innovative, mass producers and the niche and a wealth of history to encounter – If you are looking for an endless experience offering education, entertainment and engagement then look no further than Champagne.
I will be writing a full report on each of my visits to the Champagne houses I was invited to, but for now I wish to express a big thank you to:
Champagne Chateau de Boursault
Christopher Walkey
Co-founder of Glass of Bubbly. Journalist and author focused on Champagne & Sparkling Wines and pairing them with foods.