TRAVEL: Champagne-The French Region, Where The Finest Sparkling Wine Was Born

Champagne – The French Region, Where The Finest Sparkling Wine Was Born

By Jorge Jefferds December 30, 2014

In New Year’s Eve, Christmas, and even in Birthday parties, Champagne is one of the irresistible traditional drinks nobody has ever ignored. Just the sparkling evokes elegance, romanticism, cheer, liveliness. Unlike common sparkling wines, Champagne is a trademark and owns the name received several centuries ago in the region with the same name.

Located in the northeast of France, the wine region is a historic province and best known for the production of the famous white wine. EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the term “Champagne” exclusively for wines that come from this region situated a hundred miles east of Paris. The viticultural boundaries of Champagne are defined into five wine producing districts: Aube, Cote de Blancs, Cote de Sezanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallee de la Marnes. The towns of Reims and Epernay are the commercial centers of the area.

The history of the Champagne wine region has had a meaningful participation in the development of the internationally acclaimed wine industry. The area’s proximity to Paris encouraged the success of the local economy in its wine trade but also put the villages and vineyards in the path of marching armies on their way to the French capital.  Despite the frequency of these military conflicts, the region developed a reputation for quality wine production in the early Middle Ages and was able to continue that reputation as the region’s producers began making sparkling wine with the advent of the great Champagne houses in the 17th & 18th centuries. 

The principal grapes grown in the region include Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and Pinot Meunier. Pinot noir is the most widely planted grape in the Aube region and grows very well in Montagne de Reims. Pinot Meunier is the dominant grape in the Vallee de la Marne region. The Côte des Blancs is dedicated almost exclusively to Chardonnay.

The region’s reputation for wine production dates back to the Middle Age when Pope Urban II, a native Champenois, declared that the wine of Aÿ in the Marne département was the best wine produced in the world. For a time Aÿ was used as a shorthand designation for wines from the entire Champagne region, similar to the use of Beaune for the wines of Burgundy. The poet Henry d'Andeli's work La Bataille des Vins rated wines from the towns of Épernay, Hautvillers and Reims as some of the best in Europe.

As the region’s reputation grew, popes and royalty sought to own pieces of the land with Pope Leo X, Francis I of France, Charles V of Spain, and Henry VIII of England all owning vineyard land in the region. A batch of wine from Aÿ received in 1518 by Henry VIII’s chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, is the first recorded export of wine from the Champagne region to England.

The still wines of the area were highly prized in Paris under the designation of vins de la rivière and vins de la montagne- wines of the river and wines of the mountain in reference to the wooded terrain and the river Marne which carried the wines down to the Seine and into Paris. The region was in competition with Burgundy for the Flemish wine trade and tried to capitalize on Reims’ location along the trade route from Beaune. In the 15th century, Pinot Noir became heavily planted in the area. The resulting red wine had difficulty comparing well to the richness and coloring of Burgundy wines, despite the addition of elderberries to deepen the color. This led to a greater focus on white wines.

The Champagne house of Gosset was founded as a still wine producer in 1584 and is the oldest Champagne house still in operation today. Ruinart was founded in 1729 and was soon followed by Chanoine Frères (1730), Taittinger (1734), Moët et Chandon (1743), and Veuve Clicquot (1772). The nineteenth century saw an explosive growth in Champagne production going from a regional production of 300,000 bottles a year in 1800 to 20 million bottles in 1850.

 

If you ever plan on a visit to this amazing place, consider the following hotels, where Champagne is an experience you will never miss.

Champagne Ployez-Jacquemart. €€. At this hotel in the middle of the Montagne de Reims vineyards, owners Gérard and Claude like to share their passion for champagne and open their arms to guests looking to learn about the champagne-making process and experience staying on a working winery. Choose between five rooms: Azur (white and duck-egg blue with 18th-century style furniture), Baroque (red in a boudoir style), Nature (light and airy with pale woods), Provence (yellow and oranges) and Savane (colonial). Meals can be served on request.

Château des Etoges. €€€. What strikes you most at this former 17th-century staging post for monarchs is the silence, broken only by the sprinkling of the natural fountains that pour into the moat surrounding the château. The 28 rooms conjure up images of palatial country living with high ceilings, ancient furniture and stone staircases; all have lovely views out on to the gardens or over the moat towards the orangery restaurant. It’s a listed building, so there’s no lift, but the receptionists will help you carry your bags up and down the stairs.

Les Crayères. €€€€. This opulent hideaway is easily one of the finest châteaux in eastern France. Happily located opposite the Pommery champagne house, the 20 luxurious rooms make for a truly unforgettable stay. Rooms overlooking the landscaped park (several with balconies) have fine views of Reims cathedral thanks to former owner Madame Pommery, who ordered a gap to be made in the trees. Service is five-star, the bathrooms are sumptuous and the breakfast is a lesson in fine dining itself. If you can’t afford to stay here, you can still stop by for a lavish afternoon tea or champagne in the 19th-century conservatory.

Les Grappes d’Or. €. Closed during grape harvest (early-mid Sept). In the tiny village of Cramant, surrounded by nothing but the prestigious Grand Cru vines, Eric and Carole Isselée welcome you into their home with a smile and a trip around the cellars. Three sunny rooms, named after the champagne they produce, feature tasteful French country furniture with quilted bedspreads, and all have wonderful views across the vines. Breakfast, which is served in your room, is included in the price.

La Villa Eugène. €€€. After years of lying derelict, the old Mercier champagne family house has finally been smartened up and can now stand proud as one of the best hotels Epernay has to offer. Rooms range in style from classical and airy with light colors, traditional fireplaces and antiques, to neo-colonial with dark woods and earthy tones. Even in winter you might need your sunglasses to eat breakfast in the restored conservatory – a veritable well of light that overlooks the garden and heated outdoor pool.