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Published: August 5th 2016
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Here we are, Tiffany is on winter holidays! Yes, when you go to boarding school in South Africa, your July holidays, are the winter ones! I had spent few days prior to this blog with Tiffany in Luxembourg. She has just enjoyed a week with her Grand-parents....these moment are pretty rare for us lately. But here we are...finally reunited...starting with a celebration of bubbles!
Reims is not that far from where I grew up in Luxembourg. Champagne bottles are actually even often cheaper in supermarkets in Luxembourg than in France...so this is part of my education...trust me, the little white ball goes very well with champagne cocktails!
Tiffany is arriving the slow way with her Grand-parents...it's camping car all the way! So we started the day early, by a full tasting at Gimonnet. This is for those in the know....big houses spend a fortune on marketing....people at Gimonnet are not small....but the quality of what they produce is their marketing...resulting in prices way lower than the big name....at an amazing quality level! Ask any specialist!
That's a full tasting from 10am to 11.30am...good in the region they will not bother you with
two glasses if you drive...and this being a tasting, I'm in the safe zone! And I do drive slowly around...just because the area is so gorgeous! But these vintages from the last 10 years are pretty amazing...as well as the new rose from Gimonnet!
Next stop, is lunch at Les Jardins des Crayeres....on a beautiful day! We are meeting Tiffany and my parents for an amazing lunch. Here is the deal, Les Crayeres have a beautiful 2 stars Michelins restaurant. But for 5 people, even at lunch time, it will hurt big time. The new trend for these restaurants is to provide a "simpler" option next door. For 31 euros per person, you do have a 3 course lunch meal...may not have caviar...but the quality is amazing! Trust me, I love caviar, but it is over rated when put on your plate in a Michelin starred restaurant....stocking at Dubai airport is a way better idea, and we have become pretty good at it!
So we went for an amazing "fresh" lunch, and some very nice Touraine white wine....we have all the time to drink bubbles all day long, and are doing it pretty well!
All this drinking and sun (smile!) doesn't go very well with driving, so here we are after lunch, walking all the way to Pommery. That Champagne is not the best, but they have beautiful Crayeres. These are the "natural caves" where Champagne is kept. You will find them in Reims, but not in Epernay. So if you are looking for a perfect setting, this is the one. We could have done also Veuve Clicquot, but they are much more expensive for the visit....and pretty much the same setting. All these Champagne houses will provide you a young lady to get you around the process....you can pay for a one hour visit, or a two hours one...price being not the same. You can pay for the basic tasting, the basic vintage, or the house premium tasting, prices again not the same. Sadly I have to admit, these young ladies are speaking multiple languages and having a nice smile....but they are not wine makers...
Gimonnet may just have a small house and no Crayeres....this is where you learn the real deal. I'm a curious person and start to know a little more than the basic....so combining
Gimonnet with Pommery...plus some subtitles from my side, and we had a perfect educational day for my ladies! Yes, bubbles are not only about cuddles and celebrations...they can also be about learning something!
We made our way after this slowly to Epernay. There are a lot of gorgeous villages around. No more time for us for another tasting, but this would not be the last bubbles for us today! The happy couple is sleeping in the center of Epernay, so we also took our time to walk the Avenue of Champagne!
My parents are staying in a camping by the Marne, and we had a meeting for aperitif of Champagne, and some nice bbq just after this, right by the river Marne! Good news, tonight was Euro 2016 soccer time, so not many people in the streets or either on the road when I drove back to our little nest. Next morning, it's road time again, this time....with Tiffany!!!
Yes, I know, I'm nearly a month late on my blogging!
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Shona
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Caves Tour
I remember visiting Reims then doing a caves tour of Moët et Chandon in Épernay when I was there in 2013. First time I think I've ever had French champagne!! The avenue is quite spectacular.