lizgriffith76

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We spent the final full-day of our French honeymoon on a day trip to Reims for the “Bubbles Tour.” We arrived after a short 45-minute train ride from Paris on the TGV. I have to say, traveling on the TGV is a thousand times better than on a traditional train. It zips right along through the country-side with a ride as smooth as what you would find on a turbulence-free flight.

Our meeting point was a small tourist office outside the train station. Our tour van, as well as our tour guide, Christine, was already waiting for us. We would be spending the day with two older English-speaking couples from Australia and another couple in their 50’s from California. The couples from down under were on their second Champagne day tour and having spent most of the day prior walking through cellars and enjoying tastings; they were well on their way to becoming connoisseurs. They were delightful, friendly, and full of great stories.

Christine was incredibly friendly, beautiful, and spoke excellent English. I could have listened to her adorable, French accent for days. To say she was extremely knowledgeable about the region and the art of champagne making would be an understatement.

We arrived at the 125-year-old G. H. Mumm factory, where we watched a short introduction video, in a personal theatre. Afterward, the screen raised revealing doors to the cellar. We headed down the narrow, metal stairs, and I welcomed the cool change in temperature at the bottom. The tunnels formed a labyrinth of passageways carved out of the chalky soil of the region. With rounded ceilings, black walls, and dim lighting, it was exactly like what you would imagine. Everywhere I looked, there were rows, stacks, and cages filled with unlabeled, maturing bottles of champagne.

There were a few giant, aged, wooden barrels on display near the more modern, stainless steel models, which are used for filtration and fermentation. They taught us the differences between the three different types of grapes used to make champagne, the different soil rankings of the local villages, and the processes of pressing, testing, and then corking the champagne. It was quite informative.

On a side note: I’ve decided that someone with a French accent should be in charge of all story-telling and/or lead all informative lectures; it really is an enjoyable way to learn.

The tour ended at their mini champagne museum, which showcased all the different tools, tables, presses, barrels, and bottles they’ve used in their craft over the last 125 years.

Now for my favorite part — the tasting. A gentleman in a black suit welcomed us to a private bar upstairs with several empty champagne flutes. It looked very promising. He asked if we wished to taste a dry or semi-sweet champagne, and since my husband Todd and I have less refined tastes, we chose the semi-sweet, while everyone else had the dry. It was amazing, and my glass was empty way too quickly.

The bartender invited the group to play a game of sorts at the bar and placed a tray of small jars on the table, each labeled with a number on the lid and contained a scented strip of paper. It was a game designed to test palettes and ability to pick out individual scents that complete the flavors of the champagnes. Todd opted not to participate, and I was only able to identify two — it’s a lot harder then it sounds. A few of the containers were obviously fruits, but I couldn’t ascertain which ones. The floral scents were even more challenging.

We spent part of the tour driving through Reims. I learned that ninety percent of the city was destroyed during the First World War, so there are very few really old building. The city was rebuilt in the 1920’s so the structures all have a cohesive, Art Deco look.

Our next stop was the coronation site of all the French kings — the Cathedral of Notre Dame — also known as Reims Cathedral. The cathedral was built in the late Gothic style and also sustained heavy damage during the war, but was restored; although many of the sculptures of angels, prophets, and kings were beheaded, and hundreds of bullet holes mar the walls.

The front section was being restored the day we were there and was covered, but as we walked around the outside, I could see the strong vertical lines and massive flying buttresses of the architecture: trademarks of the late Gothic style. The gables, portals, and walls were home to hundreds of three dimensional and bas-relief sculptures, depicting biblical stories. It was a lot to take in.

The outside featured sculptures of everything from gargoyles to angels and saints to depictions of allegorical vices. The symbol of Reims is a smiling angel, which is seen at the front of the cathedral. I had never thought of it before, but it is unusual to see an angel smiling, and there were several of them on display.

The Reims Cathedral seemed much larger than the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris it was modeled after. It was magnificent. Everywhere I looked, vertical lines drew my eyes upward, and when my eyes reached the top, I found myself admiring the colorfully stained glass windows. Only one of the rose windows was an original; the others were by commissioned modern artists. My favorite was a set of stained glass on the east end of the cathedral installed in the 70’s by famous pop artist Marc Chagall.

We spent more time in the cathedral than I’d have liked, after all, who wouldn’t rather be at a tasting? Eventually, we were off to visit Charles Heston, a champagne co-op.

The co-op is a way for the smaller vineyards and families to pool their grapes and utilize the same state-of-the-art equipment the larger champagne houses use. It was modern and looked just like, well… a factory. I’m sure the Mumm factory had facilities like this as well but not part of our tour. After all, the factory setting is much less romantic and picturesque than the 9,000 kilometers of dark cellars under the Champagne Valley.

After a quick trip down the road, it was 2 p.m. and lunchtime. The co-op had just opened a restaurant and showroom the previous week, and we were the first tour to be dining there. The restaurant had only a few tables and a bar next to the showroom, but the outside had many tables for open-air dining. Of course, the rain began coming down steadily as we were leaving the Reims Cathedral, so we filled the tables inside for an aperitif.

We enjoyed a Chardonnay as they prepared the food. This would be one of the fancier French meals we would enjoy this trip. It began with a scallop, potato soup that was delicious, and served with our third glass of champagne for the day. They served a sorbet in liquor as a palette cleanser before bringing out the main dish, with glass number four, a red wine.

The plate was presented beautifully. It was a roasted chicken leg & breast, or possibly turkey (there was some debate on that), along with bacon wrapped green beans. Next was a salad with a vinaigrette dressing and local cow cheese. It looked a lot like goat cheese, so I left it on my plate. They paired a blush champagne with the salad, and the final course was a pink biscuit swimming in sweet yellow liquor, served with coffee.

Lunch was wonderful and the intimate setting the empty restaurant afforded us, allowed for fun conversation, perfect for tourists to relax.

The final stop on our tour was a small vineyard owned by the Luc Merat family. Although the plan was to take us out in the fields, the rain forced us to stay indoors. The entire process from grapes to corking took place in their over-sized garage overlooking the vineyards. As this was their first year as a private label, the area was efficient and simply arranged when compared to the others we had visited that day.

The representative we spoke with was friendly and generous. She gave us a few souvenirs and poured another two rounds of champagne during our visit. All in all, it was a seven-glasses-of-champagne kind of day. Todd was certainly feeling the effects and was ready for a nap, but it wasn’t a problem for the rest of us — he may be a lightweight.

The train back to Paris was uneventful. I found myself wishing the rain hadn’t ruined our chance to walk through actual vineyards, but never the less, it was a great day. It was informative, yummy, and relaxing — a perfect last day of our honeymoon — kind of day.

We were back at the apartment by 6:00 and planned on dining at one of the Italian restaurants on our street for dinner about 8:00; Parisians eat late. During our stay, we were often the first diners at restaurants for lunch when we walked in around noon.

Our last dinner was delicious. Todd had lasagna while I ordered the breaded veal cutlet. I was so full from the veal, that I couldn’t eat the side of spaghetti they served with it. Our waiter was funny and charismatic. He offered to show us the dessert menu, only neither of us could even consider it. In the states, when you’re full, it’s common to indicate you’re done by rubbing your stomach. I got the impression that wasn’t common in Paris when the waiter immediately asked me if I was pregnant.

Yep, every woman’s fear realized. Oh, how the most romantic city on earth just turned on me. I laughed it off as best as I could, but that type of thing will haunt you.

So that’s how our honeymoon ended. We were back to reality soon enough with hundreds of photos to comb through and a nice pile of laundry.

Bubbly anyone? We spent the final full-day of our French honeymoon on a day trip to Reims for the "Bubbles Tour." We arrived after a short 45-minute train ride from Paris on the TGV.

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