Bed & Breakfast In Champagne - Luxury Accommodation
Luxury accommodation in the heart of Champagne
Hello and today I’m interviewing Nicolas Rainon, who’s going to be taking us on a magical ride out into the vineyards for just a small group of fellow champagne lovers, who’ll be joining us in November, here in Champagne.
Nicolas is an expert on viticulture, and he’s going to be sharing his knowledge with us. Here’s what’s in store for us:
Hi there, today I interviewed Steve Charters who’s a Master of Wine, no less. Steve lives here in Champagne too, and he’s going to be joining us on our exclusive weekend in November, where you too will be able to chat with Steve and ask him all your burning questions, while tasting a range of very different champagnes. Here’s what’s in store:
I’m just putting the finishing touches to our fabulous weekend in Champagne for serious champagne lovers this November. This is your chance to join us for what will be a champagne experience you’ll always remember, and don’t be surprised to find that it becomes a regular date in your calendar. We have some exciting events lined up, and over the next few days I’ll be posting lots more information about the weekend, including interviews with some of the partners who’ll be joining us.
This weekend in November is not for everyone, so to make sure you don’t miss out on this exclusive invitation to join our intimate group, simply put your name and email address in the box below, and I’ll be in touch again very soon.
Thank you
Yvonne
Continuing the Veuve Clicquot theme that I started on a previous post, I took Pepper out into the vineyards today, behind the Clicquot Manoir here in Verzy, and discovered some little yellow signs alongside the vines. Each sign had a name on it with a date, and I was fascinated to learn what they were for.
Take a look at the video and you’ll find out.
Enjoy!
I was out and about with my dog today, so I took three short videos on the lovely mansion here in Verzy, built by Mme Clicquot in the mid 1800s for entertaining her very important clients from the European aristocracy. It’s still used to today to entertain VIP clients, by invitation only. Take a look at the videos here… Enjoy!
This is a short video about how the grape farmers stop the rot caused by two particular butterflies. They attach small brown plastic pods to the wires which support the vines, inside of which is the sexual hormones of the female butterflies. The emission of the hormones confuses the male butterflies and so they can’t find the eggs to fertilise! I thought that was so clever when it was explained to me by Isabelle Corbeaux of Champagne Pierre Deville and Veronique Lallement of Champagne Lallement, two lovely French ladies who are part of my English class here in Verzy.
You can see what I’m talking about in this video below.
Enjoy!
The first ever Vino Passion exhibition dedicated to wine tourism is happening in Epernay on the 20th, 21st and 22nd May and it promises to be a great event.
Unfortunately the website is only in French (big mistake in my view) but nevertheless, the town of Epernay with its wonderful new exhibition hall is rivalling Reims as the centre of wine tourism for the Champagne-Ardennes region.
This exhibition promises food and wine matching, workshops, capsules exchange, guided tours of the vineyards and tastings with small producers, plus other exciting events, inside and outside, to entice the wine and champagne loving tourist with all that France has to offer.
Could be a rival for the Reims Wine Festival in November? Both would be worth visiting in my view if only to experience the atmosphere and ambiance of the French indulging in their favourite pastime – eating and drinking.
Enjoy!
With the sun shining today, and the forest looking so gorgeous, I decided to take a stroll with Pepper up to the new Perching Bar which opened today for the 2011 season. The birds were singing and the wind was soft, so I took a short video to show you what you can expect when you come yourself.
The Perching Bar is a concept created by Olivier Couteau, and is built high up in the trees, about 10m off the ground, literally in and around the trees, and the view from the balcony over the plains is stunning.
You can sip a glass of locally produced champagne inside the bar itself or outside on the terrace in the sunshine. I took mine on the terrace today, as the weather was so good!
Since returning to Champagne just over a year ago, I have been surprised at the amount of development that’s been going on in the region. Reims is expanding, growing and bringing itself into the 21st century with style and elegance, and it’s a joy to watch.
First the arrival of the high speed train TGV in 2007, then a new southern bypass around the city, and then lots of new businesses springing up and the opening of IKEA. Next is the official inauguration of the smart new tramway in the city centre on the 16th April.
It’s buzzing, thriving and upbeat. A refreshing change from other recession-hit areas.
Take a look at this great article in the Guardian, then come on down and see for yourself.
Enjoy!
Just spent the last couple of days with Jiles’ new team, Nick and Edmond. They’re working on a new project which helps small to medium-sized champagne producers tell their stories and share their passion with the world. More about that when the website’s ready soon.
We did manage to take a break and stroll through the wonderful forest. The weather is starting to brighten up now with clear, blue skies and cold nights. Pepper doesn’t mind what the weather’s like though. He just loves going for walks.
