Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [77]
THE MERRY WIDOW & THE STARSTRUCK MONK
Madame Clicquot (1777–1866)
Why the Nickname? Born Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin and married into the Clicquot family, Madame Clicquot was widowed just seven years after she married François Clicquot (in French, veuve means widow).
I’m a Hotshot Because . . .: After her husband’s death, she took over the firm and was one of France’s earliest female entrepreneurs and the smartest marketer of the Napoléonic era. During her 60 years in control of the firm, business soared.
Greatest Contribution: She invented the table de remuage—the slanted rack used for “riddling,” a method for capturing and releasing sediment that collects in the wine—a process that is still used today.
Bragging Rights: She persuaded Czar Alexander I to toast Napoléon’s demise with Champagne rather than vodka, and other royal courts were soon in bubbly pursuit.
Dom Pierre Pérignon (1638–1715)
Why the Nickname? When Dom Pierre first tasted his creation, he is quoted as saying that he was drinking stars.
I’m a Hotshot Because . . .: He discovered Champagne when he was about 30 years old while he was the cellarmaster at the Abbey of Hautvillers, just north of Épernay.
Greatest Contribution: He blended wines from different vats and vineyards (now a common practice but then a novelty), reintroduced corks—forgotten since Roman times—and used thicker glass bottles to prevent them from exploding during fermentation.
BRAGGING RIGHTS: Who else can claim the title Father of Champagne?
TOURING THE CELLARS
Experiencing the underground crayères is a must for any visit to Champagne. Many firms welcome visitors; for some you need to book in advance (by phone or via Web sites). All tours end with a tasting or three. Don’t forget a jacket or sweater---it’s chilly down there.
Reims
Closest to City Center
Mumm. Not the most spectacular cellars but a practical option if you have little time: You can walk it from the cathedral and the train station. Mumm was confiscated by the French state in World War I because it had always remained in German ownership. Visit starts with 10-minute film and ends with choice of three dégustations: the €20 option includes a rosé and a vintage grand cru. | 29 rue du Champ-de-Mars P03–26–49–59–69 | www.mumm.com | €10 | Mar.–Oct., Sat.–Fri. 9–11 and, 2–5; Nov.–Feb., Sat, 9–11 and 2–5.
Fanciest Architecture
Pommery. This turreted wedding-cake extravaganza on the city outskirts, was designed by Jeanne-Alexandrine Pommery (1819–90), another formidable Champagne widow. The 11 miles of cellars (about a hundred feet underground) are reached by a grandiose 116-step staircase. They include no fewer than 120 chalk pits, several lined with bas-reliefs carved into the rock. | 5 pl. du General-Gouraud | 03–26–61–62–55 | www.pommery.fr | €10 | Apr.–Nov., daily 9:30–7; Dec.–Mar., daily 10–6.
Most Expensive Visit
Ruinart. Founded back in 1729, just a year after Louis XV’s decision to allow wine to be transported by bottle (previously it could only be moved by cask) effectively kick-started the Champagne industry. Four of its huge, church-sized 24 chalk galleries are listed historic monuments. This is the costliest visit on offer—and, if you shell out €38, you can taste the Blanc de Blancs. | 4 rue des Crayères | 03–26–77–51–21 | www.champagne-ruinart.fr | €14.50 | Open by appointment.
Best for History Buffs
Taittinger. Cavernous chalk cellars, first used by monks for wine storage, house 15 million bottles and partly occupy the crypt of the 13th century abbey that used to stand on the spot. You can see a model of the abbey and its elegant church, both demolished at the Revolution. | 9 pl. St-Nicaise | 03–26–85–84–33 | www.tattinger.com | €8 | By appointment only: Mid-Mar.–mid-Nov., daily 9:30–1 & 2–5:30; mid-Nov.–mid-Mar., weekdays