Épernay

Last Tuesday we decided we should take advantage of the weekend and go on a one-night stay somewhere close-by. After surveying the map for a day we decided the Champagne Region in France sounded like a perfect spot. Saturday morning we hit the road for a bubbly adventure in dreamy Épernay. After about 4 hours of driving we knew we were getting close:

We exited the main highway (or Superhighway as they're called in France) and found ourselves on a picturesque two-lane road in the French countryside. We rolled down the windows, let the warm country air embrace our bodies like a long lost friend and inhaled the sweet, wild smells of the Champagne Region as we cruised down the idyllic road to Épernay:

With the help of our ever-trusty GPS we easily found our adorable hotel located in the heart of Épernay, Hotel La Cloche. I especially enjoyed the blue shutters:



Not sure if it was the excitement of exploring a new town, the newfound warm summer breezes or a combination of both, but we dropped our bags and hit the streets of Épernay with a rejuvenated bounce in our step. Our first stop was for sustenance. We found a darling brasserie with an outdoor terrace. We sipped our first glass of champagne (in the Champagne Region!) as we tried to translate the menu:

A croque monsieur for him and a creamy crepe for her. Lunch was the perfect balance of fuel and fun. Next we walked a block away from the heart of town and found ourselves on:



All of the major champagne producers in Épernay have their champagne house on this Avenue. The champagne houses are where the fresh pressed wines are brought to ferment into champagne in the vast cellars. Large mansions and regal buildings behind intricate iron gates line this famous Avenue. Our first stop on the Avenue was at Moët et Chandon (the makers of Dom Pérignon). We enjoyed an hour tour of the Moët house and we learned quite a bit about champagne production.

Here's a taste of what we picked up:
-For a sparkling wine to be champagne, it must come from grapes that are grown and harvested in the Champagne Region of France, otherwise it is not a true champagne.
-Champagne is made from a combination of these three grapes: chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. Dom Pérignon is made of only chardonnay and pinot noir.
-If there is a specific year printed on the label this signifies a vintage champagne which means all of the grapes for this specific bottle were all grown in the same year. If no year appears it is a non-vintage and composed of grapes from multiple years of growth.
-During the 2nd fermentation process the sediment that collects in the neck of the bottle (as the bottle is stored upside down) is flash frozen and basically pops out of the bottle when the bottle is turned right-side up and opened before the final cork is placed inside.
-There are approximately 200 million bottles of champagne fermenting in cellars in the Champagne Region, the majority of those are located in Épernay.
-Grapes for champagne are harvested by hand.

Here's a peek at our tour:













As you can see from the photos the cellars were dark, damp and fairly chilly (around 50 degrees F). It was amazing to see all of the bottles slowly but surely fermenting into delicious bubbly champagne. After the tour we walked up the Avenue to explore other champagne houses, but they all seemed to be closed or available only via reservation. In the warm summer sun, we lazily bounced back towards our hotel and walked around the beautiful Épernay Cathedral (which incidentally is right next to where we were staying):



After another glass of bubbly at a local café we meandered to the hotel for a little rest before dinner. We read that the restaurant at our hotel had received quality reviews so we chose to dine there. Unfortunately I didn't lug the camera with us, but believe you me, the food was delicious! Champagne, scallop and crawfish cassolette, pork filet (wrapped in bacon!) with a heavenly roquefort sauce, and a cod filet (topped with bacon!) with creamed lentils.

Almost uncomfortably full, we made our way over to a local bar to watch the USA soccer game. Although a victory would have been a more fitting ending to our lovely day in Épernay, we couldn't complain. We slowly made our way home in a dreamy haze of soft summer heat and champagne. Bonsoir, Épernay!