Champagne
The Region and the Wine
By Carole Kotkin
 Directly east of Paris, about a two-hour drive, but shorter
and more direct by train, lies the Champagne region which is of course world
famous for its unique sparkling wine. Location is a big
part of what makes Champagne the region—and therefore Champagne the wine
distinctive. The region, known around the world for its extraordinary winemaking
process based on strict regulations and hundreds of years of experience, is like
no other. It’s no wonder that only sparkling wine from the Champagne region made
with grapes grown in the region can legally be called Champagne. This is no mere
trademark issue. The characteristics of the soil and weather in that 100-mile
section of northeastern France create circumstances that are ideal for this
sublime effervescent wine. Most of the great Champagne Houses are based in or
around the city of Reims (pronounced something like "Rrrhons" - but the locals
understand "Reems", with an ironic smile). It is most noted for its Gothic
cathedral of Notre Dame,
 which
was begun in 1210. The
world famous cathedral was the setting for 25 coronations. The facade of Notre
dame is one of the most beautiful in France; it's best seen in the soft glow of
afternoon light. Take special note of the sculptural masterpiece, the Laughing
Angel, above the north left door. Equally remarkable are the stained glass
windows, particularly the 13th century rose window and those in the apse painted
by Marc Chagall in the 1970s. The latter are striking for their luminous blue
and subject matter--the story of the Old Testament on the left; the New
Testament on the right. Today, pollution is a constant threat to its fabric.
Consequently, restoration is a continuing process and may block some views.
Nearby are many of Reims' biggest Champagne houses, with their chalky
underground cellars known as crayeres. Several offer video
presentations and free guided tours of their cellars. Reims' tourist office,
close to the cathedral, has the times of wine tours. Across the Marne River from
Reims is Epernay, where many major Champagne houses are located, logically,
along the avenue de Champagne. Perhaps the most famous of all is Moet and
Chandon, which is linked to the story of Dom Perignon (1638-1715), a monk in the
Benedictine abbey of Hautvillers, who discovered the use of corks, the blending
of wines, and the second fermentation process--in other words, Champagne as we
know it.
 Dotted around the gentle rolling countryside are pretty
wine villages, acres of vineyards, and winding little roads. Take the
opportunity to drive around the wine villages with enchanting names like Verzy,
Mailly-Champagne, Ambonnay, and would you believe Bouzy! Here's a chance to stop
and sip in a small Champagne house and make a discovery all your own. Just
follow the signs along the Route de Champagne.
 Harvest
time for the grapes is September, and picking is done entirely by hand.
Champagne Some vineyards allow visitors to become a grape-picker for the
day, with training by a regular harvester and a generous lunch, followed by a
tasting at the end of the day.
 Today, sparkling wine is made all over the world under
different names such as prosecco and cava--but it cannot be called Champagne.
This region undisputedly, produces the world's finest sparkling wines because of
its unique cool northerly latitude and chalky white soils of the region that
allow Champagne grapes to ripen fully in flavor while maintaining high levels of
acidity. Champagne is the most northern great wine
region, not only in France, but also in the world. The climate there is so
severe that normal winemaking is nearly impossible. A series of earthquakes
millions of years ago caused ripples in the land, giving the vines the proper
altitude and exposure to the sun. Without these hills, wines would not be
possible. The area was once very flat and covered by hundreds of feet of ocean
and the Marine organisms created layers of chalk that would prove essential to
the uniqueness of Champagne's wines. Due to erosion, soil often has to be hauled
onto the vineyards, where it is mixed with the existing soils to create a
special mixture that cannot be replicated. Vines go deep into the porous chalk
and extract mineral components that show up in the wines. The chalk also offers
excellent drainage for the heavy rains. Champagne houses have also utilized this
chalk by carving hundreds of miles of tunnels and cellars underground in which
to store their wines at constant cool temperatures.
 A visit to a Champagne House reveals just how
labor-intensive the Méthode Champenoise, the traditional method by which
Champagne (and some sparkling wine is produced) is. After primary fermentation
and bottling, a second alcoholic fermentation occurs in the bottle. This second
fermentation is induced by adding several grams of yeast and several grams of
rock sugar. At this time the champagne bottle is capped with a crown cap. The
bottle is then riddled (turned), so that the lees (dead yeast and sediment)
settles in the neck of the bottle. The neck is then frozen, and the cap removed.
The pressure in the bottle forces out the lees, and the bottle is quickly corked
to maintain the carbon dioxide.
Champagne is a modern wine, developed only three centuries
ago. Much of the credit for the great advances in champagne production goes to
Dom Perignon, but despite his Champagne campaign, the bubbles sputtered in
France. It took Madame Nicole-Barbe Clicquot, a 36-year-old widow winemaker in
need of cash, to change people's minds. She secretly shipped 12,780 bottles of
her finest to Russian czars, who loved it. Soon the rest of Europe became
intrigued and Champagne was a hit. But the sweetness still wasn't for everyone.
So in 1874, a champagne house called Pommery developed a drier style called
brut, which now accounts for 9.5 percent of champagne consumed. The wines are
classified in terms of sweetness or dryness, depending on the amount of sugar
added during the fermentation process. The sweetest, containing more than 5
percent sugar, are classified doux (they aren't very common anymore) and
 those
with 3.3 to 5 percent sugar are called demi-sec; sec, which means "dry" but is
still a little fruity, is 1.7 to 3.5 percent, and "extra dry" contains 1.2 to 2
percent. Then you get to the truly drier wines which have no added sugar, brut
(less than 1.5 percent) and extra brut (no more than 0.6 percent); the term
means "savage" or "rough," and supposedly it is so called because the French,
who in the early days drank their Champagne sweet, thought the British rather
barbarian for obligingly buying up the drier stuff.
To qualify to become champagne by the appellation of
Controlled Origin, only three grape varieties grown within the Champagne regilon
have been allowed in the production: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
The blend of wines used in Champagne is called the cuvee. Most Champagne is a
chardonnay blended with pinot noir or pinot meunier; blanc de blanc champagnes
are made entirely of chardonnay and are generally dry and crisp; while the
intriguingly named blanc de noirs wines, the "white of the blacks," have the
skins of the pinot noir grapes left in long enough to add just a blush of color
and flavor. Many houses produce what is called their prestige cuvees or tetes de
cuvees (head of the class), special rare, fine blendings with prices to match.
Dom Perignon, for example, is not a winery itself but the prestige cuvee of Moet
et Chandon; Cristal is the star in the Louis Roederer crown; and Rene Lalou is
Mumm's cuvee. Since grapes may ripen unevenly or a hail storm can wipe out all
or part of a vineyard, the chef de cave (as the winemaker is called) must blend
the three different
 grape varietals allowed from many different vineyards in
order to make quality wines each year. He then further
blends the wines from several different vintages to create a consistent house
style. It is the quality of these non-vintage blends that really shows the true
skill of the chef de cave. Vintage Champagnes are those made in the rare
exceptional harvest. Because the grapes are high quality and are all from a
single vintage, the chef de cave has a fairly easy time of it.
An estimated 18,000 of the small, long-lasting bubbles can
be found in every bottle of Champagne. A narrow flute or swelling tulip glass
preserves both the carbonation and the fragrance longer. The ideal temperature
for Champagne, between 40 and 45 degrees, can be achieved by placing the bottle
in the refrigerator for three hours.
 The sound of a popping Champagne cork once traditionally
signaled a celebration, but today people are choosing Champagne to accompany
almost any meal, celebratory or not. Because of its lively acidity it is a good
match with food, especially seafood, including sushi, and anything with a cream
sauce. Napolean said it best, “In victory, you deserve champagne; in
defeat, you need it.”
Champagne Houses:
The Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin (33 (0) 3 26 89 54 40) cellars
form an impressive maze of underground rooms with connecting tunnels. Visitors
go down a long staircase into this network of chambers and tunnels, where the
temperature is perfect for making the "wine of the gods." The free guided tour
explains the entire Champagne making process. Incidentally, Veuve Clicuot’s
success was due
 to Nicole Barbe Ponsardin who took over the business when her
husband Francois Cliquot died in 1905. Veuve (which
means "widow") Clicquot or as she came to be known, La Grande Dame de la
Champagne, invented remuage, a process which rids champagne of its impurities
and makes it transparent. She was also the first of her peers to realize the
value of exports and made her wine the toast of the town from Vienna to London.
Tours of Veuve Cliquot are by appointment only.
The cellars of Champagne Laurent Perrier ,33 9 3 26 58 91
22. This House, founded in 1812, is recognized as one of the finest in
Champagne. It is owned by Bernard de Nonancourt and it is the largest
family-owned House in Champagne. The Nonancourt family’s values of independence
and quality guide the Laurent Perrier team, now led by Yves Dumont.
Champagne Mailly Grand Cru, 33 0 3 26 49 41 10, is one of
only 17 Grand Cru vineyards in Champagne sells only what it produces itself. The
House was founded in 1929 produces 450,000 bottles a year.
Where to Stay:
For true luxury and pampering, the place to stay in Reims
is Les Crayeres (64, boulevard Henry Vasnier, tel. 33 26 82 80 80) diagonally
across the boulevard from Pommery headquarters (Louise Pommery herself built Les
Crayeres in 1904). The 19th century cream-colored chateau is set in several
acres of park land with 100-year-old trees and sweeping lawns. Beige marble,
tapestries, and ornate chandeliers dominate the public spaces; the 19 guest
suites are large and elegant with baths to match.
The Holiday Inn Garden Court, 46 Rue Buirette a Reims, 33
(9) 3 26 78 99 99 is centrally located to the Cathedral and to shopping and at a
more modest price.
Getting There: American Airlines to Paris.
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