Saturday, April 20, 2013

Champagne Capers



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.