Postcards to Rick Steves |
"come quickly, I am tasting the stars!"
~ Dom Perignon
FOOD
Champagne country cuisine may not be as famous as, say, Lyon's, but there are a few local dishes worth seeking out. Jambon de Reims is ham cooked in Champagne or white wine, mixed with parsley, and sometimes coated with breadcrumbs. Trout, coq au vin (rooster cooked in red wine) and andouillette (tripe sausage) are also common. The famous Brie cheese and local specialty Cendre de Champagne, are made not too far away.
We had dinner together as a group on our first night. Choose from the famous jambon or a salad with goat cheese for a starter; moules frites (mussels and fries served in a pot the size of a witch's brew!), duck confit, or tagliotelli pasta with cream sauce, bacon, and duck, for your main course; and creme brulee, lemon meringue, or an ice cream sundae for dessert. Wine was on the house today. Thank you, Rick! Many cultures are represented in Reim's restaurants, but I recommend venturing off the main drag to find better food with a more local clientele. If you will be venturing into the countryside, I highly recommend lunch in Epernay. A three-course meal I experienced at Le Berceaux featured melon with Ratafia (a sweet fortified wine), followed by magret de canard (duck breast), with clafoutis (flan with cherries) for dessert. Ooh la la! |
BUDGET TIP: Visit an ethnic food stand for a tasty, filling, but low-cost meal, like gyros or shawarma. DON'T FORGET: Chocolates and the famous pink biscuits are Reims specialties! WHEN IN FRANCE... do as the French do. Place your bread on the table, not the plate. Don't always expect doggy bags, ice, substitutions, or split checks. And remember: the appetizer is the entree, and the main course is the plat principal. |
CHAMPAGNE
In the rare event you didn't find time to taste Champagne on your own, your tour will give you the opportunity! We visited the famous Martel, where we had an underground cave tour followed by four tastings. During a Champagne tour, you will learn lots of fun facts. For example:
~Only grapes from this region can be called Champagne. Everything else is sparkling wine (cava in Spain, prosecco in Italy, Crémant in other parts of France, etc.). There are 319 villages and towns in Champagne, spread throughout five distinct sub-regions. ~Champagne is made from three grapes: pinot noir and pinot Meunier (reds), and chardonnay (white). Champagne is normally a roughly equal combination of all three, though some can be made from 100% of any one of those grapes. ~To guarantee quality, the rules surrounding the production of Champagne are some of the strictest in France. There are two fermentations, first in casks and then in bottles after yeast and sugar are added. As the wine turns bubbly, sediment forms in the bottle and must be removed. This used to be done by hand (slight tilts and turns each day), but now is done by machine. An expert would be able to turn 4,000 bottles a day in those days! ~Types of Champagne: ultra-brut (extremely dry); extra-brut (very dry), brut (dry), extra-sec, sec, demi-sec (sweeter), doux (very sweet). ~The smaller the bubbles, the better the Champagne! ~Looking for quality? Each village is given a numerical rating on a scale of 100 points. Champagne is classified as cru (table champagne, 80-89%), premier cru (90-99%), and grand cru (100%, the best!). There are only 17 Grand Cru villages. Want to buy land? You'll pay more for a grand cru vineyard than a cru, obviously. The percentage points refer to the price paid for grapes. If the top price for a ton of grapes was $5,000, you would receive 100% of that price, the full amount. If you were selling from a Premier Cru village rated at 92%, you would receive 92% of that amount, or $4,600. ~A "vintage" Champagne is made from grapes grown in only one year. Only 10-15% of Champagne is vintage. Champagne blended from grapes grown in two or more years are called "non-vintage." See the photos to the right for more fun facts! |
BACK DOOR TIP: Major producers like Martel, Mumm, and Veuve Cliquot are well-known (and well-visited!) in Reims. Try to visit a smaller, local producer, especially in the countryside. You may meet these passionate winemakers, making your visit more personal and memorable. WHEN IN REIMS: Take time to sip Champagne while people-watching, especially in the shadow of the Cathedral. ALL FOR SHOW: When in Champagne, you may witness a famous ritual called sabrage, in which the neck of the bottle is sliced off with a saber! This technique became popular in France at the time of Napoleon's spectacular victories throughout Europe. The saber was his army's weapon of choice, and the victories gave them plenty of reason to celebrate. Because they rode on horseback and it was difficult to put down the reins, the saber became the method of choice for opening the bottle! Napoleon himself supposedly said: "Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it." |
"After stopping at Moet & Chandon to confirm our appointment time, we drove to Hautvillers and tasted at J.M. Gobillard et Fils, with stops for scenic photo ops along the way. Margo and Bart have a little vineyard in their home in Australia; she likes Chardonnay, and he Syrah. Napa Valley came up in conversation often; they, and especially Eric, were very curious about it. We tasted three Champagnes, but the highlight was seeing a group of friends from Britain open the bottle by slicing off the top with a saber! "That's my wife," one said when I asked about it. "I wish mine could do that!" said another. Next we walked up the street to the tomb of Dom Perignon, who we drank to. Because of him, we can enjoy this. Eric's colleague Chris travels often (he biked from Washington to San Diego once), and drinks Champagne everyday. He's had some problems in life, but 'a glass just keeps him happy... sane?'" - Journal excerpt, 28 June 2014.