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ChampagneThe very name is synonymous with celebration; it is the wine of kings and the king of wines. Champagne-Ardenne is a very special place for the connoisseur of fine wines. The region abounds in lakes, forests, pretty floral villages and steep hillsides covered in the precious vines. Underneath this chalk and limestone, hundreds of miles of rock have been excavated to provide underground galleries for the housing and maturing of the wine. Reims, the city of kings and the gateway to Champagne is less than 2 ½ hours drive from Calais and an ideal location for a Grape Weekend. The city is home to no less than 3 UNESCO world heritage sites, including one of the finest gothic cathedrals in northern Europe where 25 kings of France were crowned. The region is rich in possibilities, from cultural tours in the city to walking and cycling among the vines. Alternatively, for a truly unique experience, try abseiling 30 metres into the cellars of a Champagne maker or learning the art of sabrage - taking the top off your Champagne bottle in exuberant style - with a Sabre. The WinesChampagne is the most famous of all sparkling wines. Blended from base wines using up to three different grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) and grown in many different vineyards, the best Champagne houses use as many as 100 different base wines to ensure the consistency of their non vintage Champagne each year. The blanc de blanc Champagnes (made from 100% Chardonnay) are clean and elegant with great aging potential, while the addition of Pinot Noir adds backbone, body and structure and the Pinot Meunier adds floral overtones and fruitiness. The broadest range of short breaks to ChampagneAs the UK’s biggest specialist Champagne tour operator, we are able to offer a wide variety of trips to the region spanning 11 months of the year. We have 45 Champagne Weekends in 2008 alone! On every Champagne Hen Weekend, you can choose the type of accommodation that you wish to stay in and add extra nights as desired. For those who wish to extend their stay, our standard service includes providing you with recommendations of additional Champagne Houses that you may like to visit and arranging these appointments if required. Grape Escapes Hen Weekend in Champagne - What’s IncludedAll our weekends are designed to give customers a full insight into the Champagne making process. We could include a visit to one of the prestigious houses based in the centre of Reims or Epernay. The sight of millions of bottles of Champagne maturing in the underground cellars is truly breath-taking. Some of the cellars are within chalk Crayères which were excavated by the Romans and others were purpose built over the last 150 years. The visit to the prestigious house will include a tour of the cellars and conclude with tastings of their Champagnes. Whilst the large houses show the majesty and grandeur that can be found in Champagne making, there is nothing better than meeting the maker and seeing the passion which he or she puts into their art. We therefore focus our tours on visiting the smaller houses where you can do just this. Your Champange Hen Weekend could include a visit to a house that concentrates on the vineyards, where you will see the vines in their varying states during the year and learn about the soil and climatic influences on Champagne making. There will be another small house where you will concentrates on the work in the winery – looking at the presses, fermentation and disgorgement process. One of these smaller houses will be a Grand Cru house where the Champagne is produced using grapes from the very best vineyard plots in the region. As seasoned Grape Escapes clients will know, in addition to the Champagne, we also consider fine dining to be a prerequisite. Therefore your Hen Weekend could also include a lunch, either at a local restaurant, Champagne House or in the case of a deluxe Hen Weekend, a Michelin starred restaurant. If eating as the guest of a Champagne House, the meal will be accompanied by a range of their Champagnes (and still wines where these are sold separately). For the restaurant meals, Champagnes and premium wines are selected to accompany the meal and to demonstrate the breadth of wine making styles that France offers. For those who want to learn about Champagne but like something more active, your Champagne Hen Weekend could start by abseiling 100ft into the Champagne cellars at a medium Champagne House. You could then visit a smaller House where you would start your visit by learning Sabrage (the art of opening the Champagne bottle with a sword) before enjoying lunch accompanied by all of the Champagnes that the group has opened. The visit would conclude with a tour of the full Champagne making process at the house. Of course, you could also visit one of the small family owned Champagne Houses in a Grand Cru village, that has a 'Marriage Museum' attached where you will get to see the special relationship between Champagne and Romance The Grape Escapes wayFor each Grape Escapes Champagne Hen Weekend, we carefully select a number of Champagne Houses of different sizes who create wines in a variety of styles. We exercise the same care in choosing the restaurants that we visit. The Champagne Houses and restaurants we visit are in a variety of locations - towns, cities and villages in and around Reims and Epernay. Find out more information and to get your free 'Hen Weekends in Champagne' brochure, call us on 08456 430 860
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| Remember to enjoy the Champagnes. Drinking in moderation is fine. Excess alcohol is bad for you |
