After a 1 hour 20 minute ride from Gare l'est in Paris we arrived at Epernay. We started by first touring the champagne house of Moet & Chandon. This is the company responsible for introducing the Dom Perignon brand to the market in the late 1920's so it was, obviously, worthy of our first visit. For those of you who like bags (I know I have at least one reader who does), Moet & Chandon is a merged company with Louis Vuitton. It also is the champagne supplier to Queen Elisabeth II.
According to legend, after much experimentation with the double fermentation process to create champagne and its successful discovery Dom Perignon ran through the abbey shouting, "Brothers, come quickly...I'm drinking stars!"
Jen and Jennie infront of the statue of Dom Perignon outside the Moet & Chandon house
Jennie in the wine caves. The numbers on top of the board are code that only the champagne makers know that indicates to them the specifics of each batch. The lower number is the number of bottles in that particular rack.
More wine racks.
There are a lot of wine racks! 26,000,000,000 bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne is sold each year.
David in the Moet & Chandon wine caves.
To make champagne a second fermentation process occurs in the bottle by adding yeast and sugar. This is done to create carbon dioxide, which is ultimately responsible for the bubbliness of the champagne. The dead or residual yeast precipitates out and is left in the bottle.
Here is a bottle of champagne currently undergoing the second fermentation process.
Champagne bottles.
The Moet & Chandon champagne caves.
After touring the champagne caves we experience the best part - the tasting (and it was not even noon yet!). Jennie, Andrew, and Jen...getting warmed up for a great day in the Champagne region!
Jennie leaving the Moet & Chandon champagne caves.
The Church of Notre Dame in Epernay.
When shopping for some champagne for a little picnic in the park I came across this. Although I am not sure of the quality of this champagne, I figured someone who reads this blog may think it is probably the best.
We ate lunch on the grass of the town-hall. Eating baguettes and sipping champagne in the French countryside.
David with his desert (Nid de Paques).
Andrew and Jen...did he have any help with that bottle of champagne?!!
David in the garden.
Jennie relaxing too.
Jennie on the Avenue de Champagne.
We decided to do a second tour at Mercier champagne. This is the number one selling champagne in France. Infact, 80% of their total production is consumed in France alone - I guess it is so good that the French do not want to share it with the rest of the world!
Jennie and I on their laser-guided train. Andrew and I decided that any tour that included a ride on a laser-guided train was one worth doing.
Jennie in the Mercier champagne caves.
Jennie and I tasting the Mercier champagne. We tasted 3 of their champagnes (brut, 2004 vintage, rose).
Jennie tasting the Mercier champagne.
Grape vines outside the Mercier champagne house.
Our final stop was at C-Comme. From what we could gather this is a collection of many of the smaller champagne makers who have pooled together to still have a presence amongst the larger champagne houses in Epernay. Here we bought and drank several different bottles to finish the day with class!
Jen acting important with the local champagne experts.
This is supposed to be a picture of us "in love". But Jennie could not take me seriously.
The next morning I woke up with a slight headache but well worth a great day in Champagne!
A+
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