Tasting Notes
Exploring the Champagne region of France, one sip at a time.
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to broaden my knowledge regarding champagne. In addition to my partial day of tasting, I had two full days of private tastings and tours. Since I like to avoid driving (even when I’m not sipping bubbly), I had Madison from Into the Vineyard arrange my tasting itinerary. She helped source boutique houses, tastings with the owners & growers, and ensured I experienced a variety of champagnes.
Each day started with pick-up from my hotel around 9:00AM. Melissa was sweet and had the car ready with water and umbrellas. November in Champagne can be rainy. I made sure to have my favorite rain coat and waterproof boots with me. These proved especially useful when we ventured into some of the vineyards for up-close views.
I let Madison know that I prefer slower-paced tastings with a focus on education instead of consumption. I had one morning tasting, a lunch and then an afternoon tasting each day. Melissa guided me through several small towns and provided some historical insight into the region as we ventured from champagne house to champagne house.
Champagne Gounel + Lassall was one of our morning stops, a family-owned and run house with contemporary design. I sampled a few of their champagnes and learned about ratafia. This is a digestif made from the fourth press of champagne grapes. It’s quite strong and was a new-to-me discovery. If you ever have the opportunity to try it, I recommend it. Many of the wines here are Brut-nature, meaning there is no dosage of added sugar. I particularly appreciate this since I lean towards dry wines over sweeter ones.
In the charming town of Bouzy (pronounced ‘boozy’), I visited Champagne Pierre Paillard, one of the larger producers I sampled during my time in Champagne. Their stunning grounds and refined tasting room were the perfect setting for sampling a variety of their champagnes after we took an old fashioned car to explore the vineyards. Pierre Paillard harvests grapes from multiple towns in the Champagne region for their different blends. I particularly enjoyed the Taissy Premier Cru and Ludes Premier Cru.
We spent a rainy morning at Ployez-Jacquemart. Their Dosage Zero and Granite were delicious but I was partial to the Extra Brut Vintage 2018 Meunier. As I spent more time in the region, this grape varietal quickly became a personal favorite. While I commonly thought of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as the grapes used in champagne, this third varietal is one I now actively seek when shopping for wine. Sample a champagne made with Petit Meunier when you have the opportunity.
In a Grand Cru village, we stopped at Champagne Lancelot Royer. The owner took us into the caves he and his son dug to expand where they house their champagne for aging. This house uses exclusively Chardonnay grapes and makes Blanc de Blancs. While it’s a varietal I typically don’t select, the vintages and low dosage options were refreshing.
Besides tasting, Melissa also took me to see the gravesite of Dom Perignon, the infamous monk associated with the invention of champagne. He is buried in Hautvillers, where we also paused for striking views of the landscape. Despite the rain and fog, I still appreciated the views of the terroir. We also drove down the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. If you are doing a day trip from Paris without a car or driver, this would be the easiest place to taste champagne at some of the larger houses like Moet & Chandon, Lauren Perrier, and Pol Roger. I’d still recommend making reservations for tastings since they fill quickly!
I loved my time in Champagne and feel more knowledgable about the champagne-making process and the region. When I travel to wine regions, I typically will build my own case of wine to ship home. Since this is an extended trip, I decided to not ship anything home. A private guide can always help you package and ship a box with a mix of wines home instead of buying cases at each house. This curated case lets you have your favorites at home.
What else can I help answer about the Champagne region of France? Stay tuned for details about my next destination: Brussels.
I love reading about your experiences in Europe!