Passing through the gates at Moët & Chandon( photo courtesy Moët & Chandon)
incredible, accessible
Champagne
By Sylvia Jansen, Sommelier( ISG, CMS), CSW
Long before high-speed trains and easy highways reached into its cities, Champagne was a destination. The Romans dug through its chalk subsoil for building materials. France’ s first king, and most of his successors, travelled here to be crowned. First World War invaders arrived and managed to blow out the windows of the cathedral. Hostile forces have overrun its vineyards and helped themselves to its wines. The myriad of chalk cellars have hidden citizens and refugees during times of conflict. It was here that the Germans surrendered to the Allied forces, ending the Second World War. And it was here that a famous wine grew up to draw people to its doors.
Within easy reach of Paris, the region of Champagne- Ardennes is ideal for a few days or a week of touring. Its heart is the Marne Department, anchored by Reims( pronounced“ Rhance” by the French) and Épernay. Rent a car at Charles de Gaule International Airport to travel the 130 kilometres from the northeastern side of the city to Reims. France’ s efficient trains also run from the airport to Reims, and a surface shuttle train will drop you at the centre of town. In any case, a traveller can arrive in Paris in the morning and be sipping Champagne in a cellar by noon. Its sister city and rival, Épernay, is a short half-hour drive south.
42 www. banvilleandjones. com