We have had a love/hate relationship with train travel in Europe. Elevators have been known to be non-existent or out of order and Dom has had to haul my 50+lb suitcase up several flights of stairs and then run back down and carry his own bag up, cursing all the way. So when I tell him we are training it from Brussels to Champagne he immediately pales. Luck was on his side when all went smoothly and a smiling driver was waiting for us after a lovely 2 1/2 hour ride to take us to the Chateau we will be staying at for 2 nights.
I hadn’t made dinner reservations so the concierge was happy to make one at a restaurant in Reims, the city adjacent to Sacy, our village. We enjoy an alfresco dinner with friendly staff.
We are met this morning by our guide/driver for the day, a young man (33) named Baptiste. He takes us to Ruinart, the oldest Champagne house, exclusively producing champagne since 1729. It is owned by LVMH, the Louis Vuitton conglomerate which owns most everything these days, including Tiffany, Givenchy, Tag Heuer, Fendi, Sephora….
Ruinart’s cellars are among the largest in Champagne. They are made from ancient chalk mining; the chalk that keeps the cellars at about 50 degrees (be sure to bring a sweater if you visit).
Two of the young ladies attending this tour/tasting had just read The Winemaker’s Wife. One of the timelines in the book is 1940, a time when the French Resistance hid Jewish people in the cellars in Champagne. They were eager to walk in the caves of these heroes.
Our 25 year old guide, Quentin, struck me as such an old soul. He was born and raised in Champagne. His love for the vineyards, the science of the craft, his business sense, are extraordinary. Quentin is particularly proud of their new cuvée, a product of our climate changes. He mentioned he had just returned from spending a year and a half in the Middle East. When I asked what he was doing there he replied, “I went to learn Hebrew”. Oh, ok. We Americans barely speak English. Europeans speak a minimum of 3 languages. Clearly, their ease in traveling country to country is a huge advantage but it doesn’t stop me from being envious.
We taste 3 different champagnes. Most of us use flutes to serve our champagnes at home. Well now I know that flutes are the worst glasses to use so I’ll be trading them out for ‘tulip’ glasses.
It’s now time for lunch and Baptiste takes us to, of all places, the same restaurant we had dinner the previous evening. We are greeted by the same staff who remembered us. We have a good chuckle and I ask if they have a lunch menu. They do NOT! It’s the same menu as dinner. Do you really think I’m going to eat filet mignon or a veal steak for lunch?? We beg off their hospitality and drive through Reims where we spy a casual brasserie. While Baptiste parks the van we go into this neighborhood eatery where no English is spoken. We could see the eager waitress break out into a sweat and quickly employ a patron who knows a little English. Imagine her relief when Baptiste walks in as we had naturally invited him to join us.
Before driving into the country we visit the cathedral in Reims, their Notre Dame, which took over 100 years to built, beginning in 1211. All the Kings of France were coronated there. Sadly, it was severely bombed during World War I as were many parts of this area. It was declared a UNESCO site in 1991, another point of pride for this city.
A ride into the country takes us to a small vineyard, Michel Fagot, where Baptiste takes pride in taking us through a very different, smaller production house. This is a culture that runs through everyone’s veins; it is the air they breathe. It is also highly regulated; run by the Champagne Commission who rates/ranks all vineyard houses; who inspects them annually to ensure they all follow the ‘rules’.
The Chateau we are staying at sits atop a hill overlooking the most picturesque landscape of vineyards. As I gaze at this landscape I feel a serenity I don’t think I’ve ever experienced. Coupled with a glass of wine and crusty bread so delicious, I wonder if this is what Heaven is like. Honestly, it’s almost biblical.
A magpie came to visit us while we had dinner.
Wine and bread have been on my ‘no carb’ list for so long. I hope God will forgive me for He surely never meant that to be!
This is very delightful!
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