Reims, France - A Weekend in the Champagne Region

 

As I am home in Boston this week for the Thanksgiving holiday, here is a guest blog from my dear friend Patricia Kriz...

 



Some have sky diving or an African Safari trip on their bucket list, but for me it was visiting the Champagne houses in France. I felt like a child waiting for Christmas the week preceding the trip. In a weekend we could only get a snap shot of the region, but we hired a fabulous driver from Taxi de la Marne who helped arrange all our house appointments, had so much knowledge of the area, and helped us cover more ground than we thought possible. He made all the difference in our fabulous weekend! There are over 5,000 champagne houses in the  Champagne Region, and I enjoyed visiting the smaller producers most.

As our one big house experience, we did visit the house of Dom Perignon and Moet Chandon for their tour and tasting. Their champagne caves are incredible and 17 miles long! I am glad we did this house, but would only recommend visiting one big house and then would suggest spending your time in the small boutique houses. 


House highlights that I tasted, loved and bought: Alexander Penet, Henri Giraud, Alain Vesselle, J.Perard Pere et Fils, P. Lancelot-Royer, and Paul Bara. 

I would be hard pressed to tell you which was my favorite, as each was different in taste and style. For any lovers of Champagne, this is a weekend you will love!