Champagne Festival in Epernay

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The « Habits de Lumiere » Festival in Epernay is only a couple of weeks away now, and the theme this year is “Imagination”.

Your weekend starts at 6.30pm on Friday 14th December, on the Avenue de Champagne, where the usually closed doors of the large champagne houses, fling open their gates and invite you in to taste their champagnes at the bars,   indulge in the gourmet food, listen to the live music, and maybe even dance.

Chestnuts are roasting on the street, fairy lights adorn the buildings, and the sound of music, Jazz, Spanish, Mexican is everywhere along this famous street.

At 7.15pm the street procession begins at Place de la Republique and finishes at the top of the Avenue de Champagne at Mercier, where at 8.30pm you’ll witness an amazing firework display set to music.

Time to head on back to the champagne bars and indulge a little more perhaps?

On Saturday 15th December, there’s more, with many local celebrated chefs giving live demonstrations of their culinary skills and of course there’s wonderful delicacies to delight your tastebuds.  Art exhibtions, photographic exhibitions and of course cellar visits, followed by the street procession again at 6.45pm, and then back to Chateau Perrier for a fabulous light display and perhaps another glass of champagne?  Why not…

And on Sunday morning, if you’re feeling up to yet more champagne  (and why wouldn’t you be? ), there’s a vintage car procession starting at 11am through the town of Epernay.

A fabulous weeked not to be missed…. Are you coming?

 

Champagne Harvest 2012 is coming soon

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How would you like to join us here in Champagne and experience the highlight of the year – The Harvest?  We’ve put together a programme so you can do just that!

Between the 20th and 30th September, you have the opportunity of becoming part of the harvesting team for one day,  picking the grapes, following them to the “pressoir”, tasting the juice as it comes directly from the crushed grapes, and experiencing the atmosphere and excitement of this special time.

Your day will begin at one of our favourite champagne maker’s “vendangeoir” where you’ll pick up your secateurs and be taken into the vineyards with the team, where you’ll begin picking.  You’ll then follow the process back at the “pressoir” and witness first hand how it’s all done champagne-style.

A traditional harvester’s lunch and some serious champagne tasting is included, and all you need to do now is to book yourself a place by clicking here.

The package includes:

  • Two nights’ B&B accommodation at Les Molyneux
  • Dinner on your arrival night with champagne and wine
  • A full day out with one of our favourite champagne makers

Prices are 355 euros for one person and 520 euros for two people sharing a room.

Here’s what you need to do now:

  1. Simply Click Here to book your accommodation at Les Molyneux
  2. Choose two nights’ between the 20th and 30th September
  3. Put a note for us in the Comments Box of the reservation form that you want to come on the Harvest Special

That’s it!  We’ll then organise your day’s harvesting, and be in touch with you again very soon.

Places are limited, so hurry and book now and we’ll see you soon in Champagne!

Yvonne

x

Launching an App feels like giving birth….

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Finally, the day has arrived when you can now have your own personal network of contacts in Champagne downloaded onto your iphone or ipad!

Champagne Day App is being launched at 12 noon GMT tomorrow and I feel as though I’m going to give birth!

It’s been an exciting few months, contacting old friends, making new ones, gathering information, shooting videos, getting the files ready and then sending everything over to our wonderful appman Simon Williams.  If I’m the mother, Jiles is the father, and Simon is definitely the midwife!

And so the “baby” is about to be born, packed full of exactly what you need to plan and enjoy your Champagne experience.  It will introduce you to and take you to meet and see the people and places you probably wouldn’t find on your own, but where we know for sure you’ll have a great time.

To take a look inside the App, before it’s launched tomorrow, by clicking on the video below.  If you’re not already on the VIP Priority List where you can get your App tomorrow at the special one-day-only price then you’ve only got a few hours left to do that, by clicking here. 

I’m looking forward to meeting you soon in Champagne.  Cheers!

Champagne Tasting in Champagne

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April is one of the best times to come to Champagne, before the season really gets going, and if you’re a champagne enthusiast, you’ll definitely want to be at one of three of the best and most dynamic champagne tastings taking place this year.

The first is the Terroirs et Talents de Champagne and  takes place in Epernay on  Sunday 15th April at the Restaurant Au  Théatre. In no particular order (!) Champagne producers taking part at this tasting are:

From La Montagne de Reims:

  • Aspasie
  • Maxime Blin
  • Penet Chardonnet

From La Côte des Blancs:

  • de Sousa
  • André Jacquart
  • Vazart Coquart

From La Vallée de la Marne:

  • Janisson Baradon
  • Michel Loriot
  • Sélèque

And Jacques Copinet from Le Sézannais
and  Coessens from further south in La Côte des Bar

To book your place at this event, simply email: terroirs.et.talents@gmail.com

Your next date is on  Monday 16th for the Terres et Vins de Champagne at the
Hotel Castel Jeanson , Ay, and in no particular order, here are the champagnes being presented at this tasting:

  • Horiot
  • Agrapart
  • Françoise Bedel
  • Bérche
  • Francis Boulard
  • Chartogne-Taillet
  • Couche
  • Doquet
  • René Geoffroy
  • Etienne Goutourbe
  • Jeauneaux-Robin
  • Benoit Lahaye
  • Laherte Fréres
  • Tarlant
  • Leclapart
  • Franck Pascal
  • Hubert Paulet
  • Pouillon & Fils

Go here to book your place at this event (the picture is from last year’s event, sadly)

http://www.terresetvinsdechampagne.com/home/formulaire.php

Go to Formulaire d’Inscription

And third is Les Artisans du Champagne on Tuesday 17th April at Regates Remoises, (Reims Rowing Club) Reims.  You’ll be able to meet and chat with these producers there:

  • Maillard
  • Paillard
  • Savart
  • Huré
  • Hébrard
  • Gerbais
  • Doyard
  • JL Vergon
  • Alfred Gratien
  • Margaine
  • Vilmart
  • Lancleot Pienne
  • Dehours
  • Gonet Médeville

You’ll need to go here to get yourself into this event:

http://www.lesartisansduchampagne.com/

Go to Inscription en Ligne

Well, if that’s not a great selection of small producers, I don’t know what is! Looking forward to seeing you in Champagne in April.

Stay Bubbly!

Fete de la St.Vincent in Champagne

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The patron saint of the “vigneron” (grape farmers) is St.Vincent and every year on the 22nd January sees each village celebrate with the traditional brioche and champagne.  The day begins with the “vin d’honneur” (reception drink) at one of the local champagne makers’ homes, and then a procession in traditional costume with lots of singing and bands playing, as they make their way to the church for the blessing.

Afterwards, the procession continues to the village hall or “Salle des Fetes” where lunch is served with of course more champagne.  All the champagne producers of each village are invited to contribute some of their champagnes, so there’s definitely no shortage of champagne flowing.

Cheers!

Imagine this…

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You’re planning a special weekend getaway in France with your partner.  You’ve no idea what to expect, so you surf the web looking for answers.  There is so much information on the web, that you’re left feeling bereft and uncertain.  You can’t find what you’re looking for.  Where to stay, where to go, what to see, what to do?  Too many questions remain unanswered, and so you just book the ferry/shuttle and hope for the best.

Sound familiar?  Stressful isn’t it?  And you’re supposed to be on holiday, taking a break…

This is what many of our guests describe when visiting us here at Les Molyneux.  When they arrive with us, they are relieved to find that a) we speak English (in fact we are English) and b) we can help them plan their visit, putting them in touch with people and places they’d never find on their own.  Guests feel like part of the family, and that feeling extends when we introduce them to our personal network of contacts, who are simply waiting to welcome them.  An experience like this is so much more relaxing and enjoyable.

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew about this before you booked your trip?

Well now you can…

“Champagne Day” App is the essential Guide to the Champagne Region, answering questions and providing solutions, not just information.  You can choose your “Day” and know that when you arrive, there’ll be a friendly face just dying to meet you.

We’re launching this App very soon, so to get yours at the special one-day-only price on Launch Day, go here:

http://champagneday.net/launch

See you in Champagne very soon!

 

 

Champagne Day

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We’re so excited today, because we’re launching our priority mailing list for anyone who wants to get our App “Champagne Day” for the special one-day-only price when we launch it soon.

Why have we made an App?

Lots of guests who stay with us at Les Molyneux ask the same questions.  These questions are usually, where can we taste champagne, which restaurants do you recommend, where can we walk in the forest, what can we do with the children, how can I meet some small producers, what are the opening times of the large champagne houses?

And so the App “Champagne Day” answers all those questions.  Not only that, inside the App, you’ll actually get to see the places and the people who are just waiting to meet you, sometimes via video, before your next trip to Champagne.

We’ve collected our knowledge together and you can enjoy it in an entertaining and informative way, and I bet you’ll be planning your next trip to Champagne very soon.  Inside, as well as Moet et Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery plus a personal collection of our favourite smaller producers, you’ll find activities for the children in Champagne, our favourite restaurants, food and wine festivals, champagne tastings and so much more.

So to get the App at the one-day-only special price when we launch, you need to get yourself on our priority mailing list by clicking here, and we’ll see you in Champagne soon

Yvonne

 

Champagne Christmas fun in Epernay

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The weekend of the 14/15/16th December is a great time to come to Epernay, where the Christmas street party takes place on the Avenue de Champagne.  Usually, not many of the big champagne houses on the Avenue are open to the public, but on this weekend, they all are!  And not only are they open, you are invited to join in, with champagne flowing, food to go, live music, fun and fireworks.  If you’ve never been to Epernay for  this brilliant event, then put it in your diary for 2012.

The “Habits de Lumiere” event (which literally means “dressed in lights”)  is where the Avenue de Champagne is lit up like Disneyland,  with even a Disney-esque procession and spectacular fireworks on the Friday night, cooking demonstrations and champagne and food matching on Saturday, and a vintage car procession on Sunday.

Thousands of locals flock to the event, and you should be there too!  Put it in your diary, and we’ll meet you there!

Les Molyneux Christmas Gift Shop is now OPEN!

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Christmas is less than 4 weeks away, and if you’re anything like me, you haven’t even begun present-buying yet.  I know that I struggle with thinking of what to buy for people, especially as I have a large number of people in my family and friendship group that I don’t see very often, but who are important to me.

I wanted to find unsual and original gifts that they certainly wouldn’t be receiving from anyone else, so that’s when I came up with the idea to offer gifts from Champagne.  Sending the bubbly around the world can often be a challenge, but champagne related gifts, directly from the region itself can be shipped anywhere.  Brilliant, I thought.  But where can I find those gifts?

That’s when I thought of my friend Laurette Barnaut from Champagne Edmond Barnaut.  Laurette has a marvellous gift shop in Bouzy where you can find all kinds of unique gifts, plus you can taste the champagnes while browsing.  Perfect!  So I went to see her and she agreed to partner with us.  We put the gift boxes together from items from her shop, and she takes care of the shipping.

So when you order your Christmas gifts from us, you may get a little surprise inside, from Laurette.  Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

Enjoy!

Gifts for Him – Champagne Connoisseur

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A quirky selection of great champagne related gifts all beautifully presented in our Champagne Connoisseur gift box.  Inside you’ll find:

  • A book for keeping the labels of your favourite champagnes, plus a unique system for removing the labels all in tact from the bottles
  • A little book for writing down your notes on all those wonderful champagnes you’ve tasted, so you’ll know what to look for next time
  • Test your knowledge with this fun champagne trivia quiz (in English) to amuse you and your friends at your next party
  • A hermetically sealed champagne stopper, for when you really can’t finish the bottle
  • A pourer to make sure you don’t spill a single drop
  • And a lovely apron to protect your clothes, just in case you do spill a bit

All beautifully presented in a gift box for yourself or for the special champagne connoisseur in your life

Price includes all contents, gift box and shipping

Champagne Connoisseur
Champagne Connoisseur
A selection of unusual gifts to delight and inspire the Champagne Connoisseur in your life. Click on the title to read more.
Quantity:
Price: €106.57