Champagne

 We drove into the Champagne area for two different but enjoyable tour/tastings. Sara gave us some facts and quotes on the way, including that there are 14,000 producers in the region, each owning an average of 2 hectares. Property is valued at 1 million euros per hectare. They use only 3 grapes - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The Champagne region was formerly the northern most latitude to grow the grapes to produce champagne, but with climate change, other areas have been starting to produce similar sparkling wines, including Southern England. However, they are not allowed to call their wines champagne unless they are produced in that region. 

We first stopped at Mercier, a large producer who produces between 1.1 million and 1.4 million bottles per year. They had a modern reception area with a huge decorated oak barrel in the center. We received an audio guide, like a little cell phone, with the commentary in English. We saw a movie about the entrepreneurial founder, who had the idea to produce champagne that everyone could afford. He started with a small co-op of growers and ended up buying them all out and now they have many hectares of their own as well as buying grapes from other producers. After an elevator ride down 30 meters, we boarded a little train and were driven through the caves that were carved out of the limestone to make and age the champagne. Maria had explained that the area was formerly an ancient riverbed, evidenced by lots of shell fossils, and this gives the wine a great mineral aspect. It also made it easy to carve the miles of cellars, including many cool wall carvings. 

As we rode, the commentary described how they make the champagne, which includes two separate fermentations - the second one adds the bubbles. They age the bottles with a temporary cap in the cool, dark cellars, and rotate them on a machine to collect the sediment in the neck. Then they freeze the neck and the sediment pops out. They add some sugar and reserve wine and then seal them with the permanent cork and wire. After a couple months, they are ready to sell. 

After the train ride, we went for a tasting of two of their champagnes: a Brut (which means less sweet) and a Blanc de Noir, which had some Pinot Noir grapes with the Chardonnay. The bartender/guide explained that the indentation in the bottom of the bottle is to strengthen it against all the pressure of the wine in the bottle. If they didn’t have the indentation, the bottle would have to have a very thick bottom. Sue and Julie liked the Blanc de Noir best, and Mary liked the Brut. We bought a bottle of each to take back to the hotel; they cost about $30 each. As we left Mercier, it started to rain hard. It is the first real rainy day we have had. 

Two friends of Maria’s now joined us on the bus. Alain  Boutillat owns a 6.5 hectare property producing 180,000 bottles per year and has now turned the operation over to his daughter, Valerie. Alain and Valerie were our tour guides through the lovely countryside, although they spoke no English, so Maria translated everything they said. We drove by many famous champagne properties in and around Epernay, the capital of the region. We also drove by a college where they train champagne producers and later met Valerie’s daughter, Matilde, who has just begun her studies. Apparently people come from all over the world to learn the craft. 

At Moët & Chandon, we saw the statue of Dom Perignon, the monk credited with discovering how the fizz developed in champagne in 1375. It was actually a fluke that he created gas in a bottle of still wine, and then he spent years perfecting the method. The cork and wire seal he created is still used today. Moët & Chandon now owns over 800 hectares. 

There were back to back to back champagne producers on our route. Each has to follow strict rules including picking the grapes by hand. Most of the harvesting was done last week, though we saw a few stragglers. The vines are planted to maximize their exposure. They are meticulously pruned. They do biodynamic treatments near towns and organic treatments further away, so as not to expose the people to the fumes. We passed many villages that were simply houses, vineyards, and maybe a church. Valerie explained they don’t have any shops in the villages  - they all go to Epernay for the bakery, butcher, etc. 

We arrived at the Alain Boutillat winery and went into a building where he explained the crushing machine. Then we climbed down some stairs into the cool cellar and saw the special stainless steel tanks where the crushed fruit ages about 8 months. This is the first fermentation where the sugar is converted to alcohol. At the end of the first fermentation, they take out the sediment so they don’t have as much to take out later. 

They put the wine in bottles and apply a temporary cap that looks like a beer cap. In 15 days the gas develops and the wine becomes sparkling. The pressure in the bottle is equal to 6 kilos. The bottles are stored horizontally and are required to be stored at least 15 months, but Alain considers the wine too young at that point and ages it longer. He has a consultant come in to assist in determining exactly when the bottles are ready. Then they rotate them on gyro-pallets. By the end the sediment is in the neck of the bottle. 

We then saw the machine they use to remove sediment. It adds glycol to the outside and freezes the necks of the bottles to minus 20 Celsius. Then the machine washes the glycol off, removes the bottle cap, and the pressure pushes the frozen sediment out. They add a sugar solution to make up for lost volume. The sugar solution determines the final type of wine. The machine adds the mushroom cork and wire. Finally, the bottles are washed, dried and then labeled (all via machine). The final step is to apply a neck covering. 

They produce 5 different types of champagne including an unusual blend of red & white grapes for the rose. They have some special labels with pictures of animals - these are for nature and hunting enthusiasts. We learned that a vintage champagne is made from only one year’s grapes. They only do a vintage year on a really good year. He said that 2015 was a very good year, and they are almost sold out. 

We then tasted two of their champagnes - we were given very generous pours in small glasses. (Sue coined the term “Val pour” instead of “Al pour”.) We did not care for the first one as well - it had a strong metallic flavor. The second one was better. Then we boarded the coach for a short ride to the village hall where a catered lunch was served. The cold meats and salads were excellent. Again we were served more wine and at the end of the meal, profiteroles with a glass of champagne. It was delicious. Mary and Sue each purchased a set of their champagne glasses. Although we didn’t taste it, Maria raved about the rose they make, so we have inquired about ordering a case to split. 

It was a rainy and sleepy ride back to Reims. Julie and Nick walked to find Margo’s souvenir store. Mary went for a walk and found a brew pub where they sold growlers and cans you filled yourself. We met for a drink in the hotel bar, and it started raining hard. When it stopped, we went for dinner at a nearby restaurant Mary had found. Sue had monkfish, Nick had cod, Julie had gazpacho and foie gras, and Mary had a burrata salad. It was delicious. We returned to our room and shared a bottle of champagne. Nick and Mary went to the brew pub and picked up some beers. We went to bed early as tomorrow we have another champagne tasting and then head for Paris.