The old church stood in the middle of the deserted village. The heavy wooden door creaked open as we entered, our footsteps echoing off the ancient stone floor that echoed around the empty nave until we reached the altar. There, just before the altar, was what we had come to see: the simple, fleeting final resting place of a man whose contribution to the world was so brilliant.
Feeling a little overwhelmed, I looked for something a little more suitable: a small pop-up bar, or maybe an ice bucket. But there was nothing.
Instead, we stood at Dom Perignon’s grave and raised an imaginary glass to the Benedictine monk who is credited with bringing the world’s finest sparkling wines. He spent most of his life here, in the idyllic French village of Hautvillers in the heart of the Champagne region, working as the church’s cellar master until his death in 1715.
I like to consider myself something of an expert when it comes to champagne – at least when it comes to drinking it – but there’s definitely a huge gap in my knowledge when it comes to everything else: location, history, industry… It was time to fix that.
The Champagne region, 90 miles east of France’s capital, is a modest place; It is one of the rolling vineyards, charming castles and charming villages where the world’s most luxurious drink is almost a religion.
The trip from Paris took less time than polishing a bottle of Ruinart. Our local train from Gare de l’Est, an easy five-minute walk from the Eurostar terminal, took us to Champagne in 40 minutes. As the world around us changed, the sandy suburbs of Paris soon transformed into a pleasant patchwork of green valleys and chalky plains.
Landing in Champagne-Ardenne involved more courage than panache. But that changed when we arrived at the Royal Champagne Hotel and Spa, one of the most luxurious properties in the area. Located in the heart of the Champagne region, near the village of Champillon, 25 kilometers south of Reims, it looked from afar like a Bond villain’s secret lair, magnificently perched on a hill overlooking the Marne valley.
Welcome drink — do you need to ask? – just minutes after it arrived and served with the most amazing music that will become very familiar over the next few days: a sharp pop, a deep hum and a gentle hum as delicate bubbles danced in the chilled flute.
Like the drink itself, the hotel’s interiors are fresh, vibrant and intricate in detail. Modern artwork, custom-made furniture, and extravagant chandeliers were placed to enhance rather than dominate the setting. Spanning two floors, each of the 47 rooms and the elegant spa overlooks the vineyard-filled valley. There are also fun touches, especially the ‘Press for Champagne’ button on the bedside.
The hotel’s humble beginnings date back to 1872, when it was a coaching inn on the road to Paris. The kings who would be crowned would also stop by and would undoubtedly enjoy a level of hospitality similar to today. Fast forward a few hundred years and the property was purchased by Denise Dupre and her Boston businessman husband Mark Nunnelly; He made his money, I’m told, as one of the early investors in Domino’s.
Putting that pizza dough to good use, the couple have reportedly spent around £20 million sprucing up the venue as they prepare to give Champagne its first true luxury hotel. But visiting here isn’t just about drinking. It’s all about history and adventure, as well as the opportunity to look behind the scenes of one of the world’s most famous industries.
Most of the big Champagne houses – Laurent Perrier, Veuve Clicquot, Moët… – welcome visitors by offering tastings, factory tours and visits to the vineyards, but I was more interested in discovering a brand that offered something altogether more ’boutique’ than the big boys. Family-run Leclerc Briant has been expertly using its gas since 1872 and today takes an organic approach to winemaking using bio-dynamic practices. It is one of the smallest companies, growing Pinot noir, Pinot meunier and Chardonnay grapes on its modest 14 hectares of land, producing just 200,000 bottles a year.
“Quality is important to us. “We don’t want to produce a million bottles,” says our expert guide Paul. “We select only the best grapes and press them gently by hand.” They may be small in size, but their ambitions are anything but. A strictly pesticide-free zone, the vines are treated with a herbal infusion of nettle, yarrow and chamomile, and new titanium-lined barrels have recently been added as the winemaking process continues to evolve.
Far more exciting is the annual Abyss collection, where 3,000 bottles are dropped into the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Brittany. They eventually return with a beautifully weathered appearance and boasting a very delicate salty aftertaste.
The rest of our boozy mini-break was spent wondering around larger towns and sleepy villages like Epernay, where the statue of Dom Perignon holding a bottle takes center stage.
“I’m tasting the stars,” he reportedly said while experimenting with fermentation methods. In those days, the region was better known for its low-quality red wines, which most people did their best to avoid. Unfortunately, it took another century after his death for the world to take a liking to bubbles.
When we returned to the hotel, it was time for dinner. Le Royal is the hotel’s formal dining experience and is the proud recipient of a Michelin star awarded last year. Inside, the quiet, champagne-coloured ballroom is dominated by a central statue of the former diner Napoleon, but there are also tributes to the various women in his life, with large portraits on display and the words of love letters beautifully painted on pottery. .
Executive chef Paolo Boscaro draws on his Italian heritage and exceptional local produce to create masterful and sophisticated dishes, including a dish dedicated to his father that combines saffron-enriched pecorino with gnocchi and silky sage cream. Dinner was naturally washed down with the crispest champagne as suggested by the sommelier. Every sip was a moment.
That night we also tasted the stars.
Detail
Double stays start from £687 at the Royal Champage Hotel and Spa (royalchampagne.com). Eurostar (eurostar.com) offer, London St. It offers returns from St. Pancras to Paris from £78 per person.
Champagne tourism: champagne.fr