Reims is only a short 45min trip away from Paris and we got to experience one of the super fast trains. It is quite scary when these trains zoom past you at top speed when your waiting on a platform but on board it makes for a nice smooth ride. it does however mean that the outside world blurs past you and so not really ideal for checking out the scenery or trying to take pictures. When you are in Paris it seems like the city goes on forever but in fact within fifteen minutes we were in the country side passing fields of animals and crops. As we got closer to Reims and the champagne county this turned into blurred rows and rows of grapes. I have actually never seen that many vineyards before. They seemed to continue for miles interspersed by little villages looking after the land. Rheims is in the heart of the champagne country and has several major cellars where we would be spending our time carrying out a few tastings.
Reims is a pretty manageable city and easy to walk around but it still has a great tram system through the city if you are not up to walking. The sun was out so after checking in we strolled back into town to check out Reims Notre Dame cathedral which a UNESCO world heritage site. We didn't visit the inside of the one in Paris due to our lack of patience for waiting in lines but this one was uncrowded and had free entry. It stands impressively in the middle of an open square where you can see the tall gothic style cathedral. The Notre Dame suffered during world war one from gun fire and eventually from fire damage but has since been rebuilt. Jake and I enjoyed wandering around bother inside and around the outside listening to our audio guides. The stained glass windows inside are spectacular and were a mixed bag of designs including more abstract windows as well as the normal images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
Day two in Reims I was excited to get to our champagne tasting we had booked in that afternoon. To pass the time until then we took another audio guide tour around Reims which took us past several historical building and ended up at the cemetery. This one was a bit creepier they the standard cemetery so we quickly turned out of their. Before we knew it, it was time to head to our champagne tour. There are plenty to choose from in Reims and pretty much all of them include some sort of guided tour through their cellars and finish with a tasting. We choose the G. H. Mumms cellar tour which was originally set up by three German brothers but was confiscated from them during the war as they were not French citizens.
We definitely pulled the average age of our group down by a decade or two with everyone else seeming to be on some sort of larger tour group. Our tour started with a short movie on the history of Mumms and Reims. Next our lovely guide took us deep down in the cellars. Now the cellar is just on the outskirts of the city but they have 25kms underground of cellars. Our tour barely scratched the surface. I have been on and dragged Jake along on a few winery tours an to tell the truth not much changes between each tour ( it's really only the tasting at the end that differs). Even so I do enjoy wandering around through the vats, cellars or vineyards depending on where we are and hearing the process be retold. Champagne of course can only be called champagne if using grapes grown in accordance to specific rules and grapes must come from designated plots in the Champagne region.
In the old days, before mechanical turning, and even still today for certain types of champagne (the more expensive ones) or other sparkling wines hand turning or riddling is an important part of the process. This is where the bottles are turned and twisted daily until eventually they are upside down and all of the yeast deposits are at the neck of the bottle ready for
disgorgement. At Mumms the expert riddlers can do something like 60,000 bottles a day. It sounds and looks easy but there is definitely some skill and technique required.
disgorgement. At Mumms the expert riddlers can do something like 60,000 bottles a day. It sounds and looks easy but there is definitely some skill and technique required.
We finished up our tour in the museum cellar where equipment used in making champagne from across the ages is on display. Finally it was time for a bit of tasting. Jake and I both tried the cordon rouge and the demi-sec, a sweet champagne and a dry one. Jake was not really a fan of either but then he has only started drinking wine since we had been traveling. My favourite was the cordon rouge. Browsing through the shop on site the champagne was actually quite affordable especially comparing it to prices back in NZ. When I was working in the liquor stores as a sampler the champagne bottles tended to be locked up behind the counter or in a glass case and the only time it was ever on special was at Christmas when people would come buy one for their family brunch or dinners. I was tempted to buy a bottle or two but the idea of carrying them around with us put us off. On a few travel days we have had bottles of wine in our bag which makes it a lot heavier and pretty uncomfortable to walk with. I would love to come back to champagne country with a car and drive through all the villages and visit the actual vineyards so maybe that time I can buy a few cases of wine. Until then I will savour the taste and texture of the perfect bubbles and sweet liquid.
Next stop: Side trip to Luxembourg