Peter M arrived in Nancy by train on Good Friday, 29th March. The TGV arrived on time at 1720 and, knowing his carriage, we met him as he stepped off. Then a quick tram trip to the port and quite soon
we were enjoying a glass of bubbles together. A quiet meal and an early night
for we were off tomorrow. We were going to visit Champagne Country. We had
planned to take Peter to Epernay with Matilda but the authorities closed a
canal for maintenance and we are going by train instead.
These are the decorations on a roundabout arriving
at the centre of the Champagne houses.
Names
like Moet & Chandon, Perrier Jouet,
Castellano and Mercier were around us and we were here to look and sample their
wares. We visited Champagne Mercier and went on their cellars tour. Peter and
Marg had been here before but the experience was new for Peter M who was fascinated
by the entrepreneurial skills shown by Eugene Mercier as he established his
business at the age of twenty in 1858.
His
cellars, consisting of some 18 kilometres of tunnels dug deep in the chalky
stone under Epernay were decorated with carved reliefs to provide an enjoyable environment for his workers as
they carefully performed the bottling, riddling, disgorging and maintenance of
his champagne. We travelled in an
automatic electric train that followed, by laser, a track on the roof of the
cellars while we listened to a pre-recorded commentary.
Even
though the tour explains the historic manufacturing methods, the cellars are
equipped for the most modern production. These automated riddling racks hold
around 550 bottles each and cut riddling time to days rather than months. The
bulk of their champagne is produced this way but the highest quality is still
hand produced and the traditional systems are still in use.
With
the aim towards large scale production, Eugene Mercier had this magnificent
barrel made. It took eleven years to make, used 150 Hungarian oak trees and
holds the equivalent of 200,000 bottles.
It was completed on Christmas eve 1877. Mercier transported it to the Paris
Exhibition of 1889 where it was as popular an exhibit as the Eiffel Tower.
We
of course then spent a pleasant hour or so sampling their wares.
The
day was pleasant and we wandered along
the Avenue de Champagne and found this magnificent cottage. It was the home of
Eugene Mercier later in his life. It is now a reception centre with the
gatehouse occupied as a showroom for a small champagne producer.
Next
day we visited the cellars of Moet & Chandon, this arch tells the story,
theirs are the original cellars here. They have been used for their production
continuously to this day.
Another
chance to sample the wares.
Back
to Nancy and Matilda by train next day and we prepared to depart on our
cruising for the season 2013.
There
will be lots more to tell. So – we will keep in touch.
