We Visit Two of The Largest Champagne Houses in the World.

We Visit Two of Largest Champagne Houses in the World.

One place I have always wanted to visit was the Champagne area about 150klms from Paris and in particular the little town of Epernay. We booked this tour to the Champagne Region and also Reims to see their large Cathedral before we left Melbourne. It is going to take all day for this tour so we are up early and in the tour bus by 8am.

For the first part of our trip we travel on the motor-way but eventually we are in the real French Country side and it is great to see. Many small farms with different crops and lovely stone French farm houses. It is delightful to be in the country.

Our first stop is Mumms Champagne House and here we have a guided tour of the underground chalky caves, have the process of turning grapes into bubbling champagne and we also get to taste some of their famous Champagne. I had no idea that it takes 8-10years for a bottle of premium champagne to be ready for market. I now know why good champagne costs so much and if it is a product of a good season appreciates in value.

 

Bottles of Mumms Champagne Cleaned and Labled and ready for sale.

We then go to Reims and have a guided tour of this magnificent Gothic Cathedral Notre-Dame. I think that nearly every cathedral that we have seen so far in France is Notre Dame (Our Lady). There are over 2,300 statues on the west façade and the statue of the smiling Angel is the most famous of all the statues and appears on promotional information on Reims.

 

The very large cathedral at Reims.

 

                                                         Allan and myself at the Cathedral.

 Bombing in the 1^st world war destroyed much of this very large cathedral and it was not completely restored till 1996. They are still in the process of cleaning the outside. There are some sections where the damage during the war has been left as a reminder of the terrible damage that wars cause.

 

 

Some of the many Statues at the entrance to the Cathedral.

 

                                           Some of the many stain-glass painted windows.

 

One of the magnificent stain-glass windows - this one tells the story of grape growing and wine making in the area.

This cathedral in renowned because since the 11^th century all the Kings of France have come to this city for their coronation.

After lunch we head for the World Famous Champagne House of Moet & Chandon which Dates back to 1743. It cellars stretch some 28klms underground and this house also produces many other famous champagnes including Dom Perignon. Out the front of the Moet & Chandon Cellars is a statue of Dom Perignon. We also enjoy a tasting at this venue and enjoy having a look through the cellars and the retail shop and another talk on the method of making Champagne.

 

                                                  Entrance into the underground caves.

                                        Enjoying the Champagne Tasting at Moet & Chardon.

                                            Dom Perignon Statue at the entrance to the cellars.

This was a great day out. It was a little disappointing to be given virtually the same talk at two different venues and to be walked through the same sort of caves but at least I now know the process of making champagne and I have seen where the best in the world comes from.