Excerpts

Chapter One La Champagne * * * The wine-growing area known as la Champagne Viticole is situated about eighty-five miles north-east of Paris. Much of it lies in the valley of the Marne River, a tributary of the Seine -- the means by which the wines were, in past centuries, transported to Paris where they were always popular. The district lies very far north, between 49 and 50º latitude, just on the edge of the climatic conditions which enable the vine to ripen its grapes, unless helped by specific mesoclimates as in Alsace, for example, or on the slopes of the Rhine.     The ancient capital of the province lies far to the south in Troyes, but today the wine-growing area has two main centres: the town of Epernay and the old city of Reims. It is a small area of about 35,000 hectares, or somewhat less than 100,000 acres, which lies mainly in the department of the Marne, with about 17 per cent of the vineyard area in the Aube, near Troyes, and the tiny remainder split between the departments of the Aisne and the Seine-et-Marne.     Being so far north, Champagne has a difficult climate. It is described, in wine-growing parlance, as northerly continental, but with a slight influence from the Atlantic Ocean. In simple terms, this means that it is highly marginal, with only just sufficient warmth to ripen the grapes, something which will happen only if the temperature averaged throughout the year is at least 10°C (50 °F); in other words, it has a very cool climate which in turn can mean a number of serious problems for the grapes.     First, the winters are occasionally cold enough to kill some vines. It takes intense cold for a few days to do this. If the temperature falls to minus 30°C, the sap will freeze in the vine, expanding and destroying the internal structure, at which point the plant turns black and simply rots. This happened in the winter of 1984/85 and Champagne lost one in ten of its vines. During late January and early February 1997 the temperature fell to -28 °C, and the vines were able to survive; a further drop of two degrees would have killed them.     It is an area that suffers from late frosts. These can damage and kill the young developing buds or shoots, and thereby the potential harvest for that year. Admittedly, these shoots will come again, but later. This almost certainly reduces the size of the crop, affecting the time of flowering and so the harvest, and some of the grapes may not have time to ripen. Indeed, in 1997 an early burst of warmth saw shoots well advanced by the Easter weekend, after which the temperature dropped considerably, initially stunting development, while later frosts cut the expected crop.     Conditions at flowering time are also vital. If the days are warm and without too much breeze, a good flowering and set can be expected; if damp and with fluctuating temperatures, the opposite can happen. In 1997, the early cold weather prevented flowering until July, which is late, and even then cold, damp conditions were less than perfect. In this particular vintage the uncertain start was made up for by a hot August and a completely dry September, when not a drop of rain fell during the harvest, something unheard of, but this cannot be relied upon, as both August and September are frequently damp.     One advantage of this cool climate, however, is that in most years the grapes get a long, slow ripening period which is a factor in the finished wine. The initial balance of acidity to ripeness and sugar is certainly not perfect for a still wine, but after the second fermentation -- in which the bubbles are introduced into the wine -- has been induced, it produces the hallmark delicacy and elegance of fine champagne. Often in very hot years, such as 1976, this balance vanishes because the speed of ripening upsets the all-important acid-to-sugar ratio, resulting in big, rich wines with low acidity.     The rolling hills of the district owe their existence to prehistoric earthquakes. Indeed, but for the resulting slopes, the entire region would not be able to harvest ripe grapes at all. To the south of Epernay lies the Côte des Blancs. At an altitude of about 180m (600ft) and stretching southwards for no more than 21km (13 miles), it finishes at Vertus with its beautiful twelfth-century church built over St Martin's Well. Facing it is Mont Aimé, famous (or infamous) for the execution in 1239 of the Cathars and also the site of a review by Tsar Alexander of 300,000 Prussian, Russian and Austrian troops in 1815.     The Montagne de Reims itself is only 19km (12 miles) long and covered on the plateau at its top by thick forests of deciduous trees, a great area for la chasse , shown in the autumn and winter by the sheer number of cars parked alongside the main Reims to Epernay road. Visitors to Reims are always advised to see the great Cathedral and the Palais de Tau, which now houses an exhibition devoted to the destruction wreaked by bombardment during the First World War. However no one should miss the older Basilica of St Rémi, now almost surrounded by a housing estate but an amazing and magnificent ninth-century church, within easy walking distance from the houses of Veuve Clicquot, Pommery or Taittinger. The Valley of the Marne, flowing westwards from Epernay, covers the area famous in the early days of champagne for producing the vins de la rivière . Today it has been extended as far as Dormans and Château-Thierry, although most of the villages here rate relatively low on the échelle des crus (the scale of quality given to the different vineyards). Seen from the road, which winds its way along the northern side of the Marne, it comprises wonderful rolling vineyards, almost a chocolate-box view of Champagne.     For the more adventurous there is a drive south to the Aube, with a collection of delightful villages. The mediaeval city of Troyes contains half-timbered buildings, stained glass and sculptures, while towards Arconville lies the forest of Clairvaux and the famous Cistercian abbey founded by St Bernard, which was used as a prison during the Revolution. Admirers of General de Gaulle can visit Colombey-les-deux-Eglises, and on the way see the great Cross of Lorraine memorial as well as his tomb in the tiny cemetery by the church.     The villages themselves are not spectacular, but are made up of solid yet elegant houses which often hide presses and wineries. Little signs show the way to small growers, where passing visitors are welcomed and shown the product of the house. Quite a high percentage of champagne sales are made directly from the cellar (or house) door.     One of the first impressions gained by the first-time visitor is the wonderful warmth and hospitality shown by the people of Champagne, perhaps tempered by a slight reserve until the realisation dawns that the guest is as enamoured of champagne as the host. `I can see,' said one hostess happily, `that you do not need a spittoon.' Another, at a time of serious shortage of the wine, referred to in wonderful English `a parlous lack of liquid', which did not prevent several other bottles being opened. `Would you like some tea?' asked yet another, producing a bottle of superb wine when answered in the affirmative. In good times and bad, visitors are always treated to the best that can be offered.     There is undoubtedly a close relationship here with serious visitors, rather than simply tourists, and in particular with the British. It was demonstrated, maybe, by the quiet but effective resistance of the Second World War, where all levels of society were involved in sabotage, from members of great merchant houses to the railway workers of Epernay, and all are remembered on the memorial in that town. The small house of Ployez Jacquemart in Ludes on the Montagne de Reims was home to certain RAF personnel during the phoney-war period, and no doubt at least one of the comments scratched on the walls, shown today with great pride to British visitors, had to be covered securely during the Occupation.     Champagne is also an area for the gourmet. It has a great food tradition, which for some curious reason is not as well known as that of, say, Provence, the Rhône, Périgord, Alsace or Burgundy. But it is well worth researching, even if the inevitable result is extra avoirdupois . There are superb salads; fish, including pike, salmon, eel, trout, carp and freshwater crayfish, is delicious, and often cooked in champagne sauces. Good beef and plenty of ham, veal and lamb, but most particularly rabbit, so long ignored across the Channel, but much appreciated in France, appear in many different guises. Game abounds, as might be expected in an area devoted to hunting. There are plenty of dishes based on pheasant, often marinated and cooked in red wine or in marc de champagne, and wild boar, wonderfully tasty and sometimes served with bilberries or sour cherries. Chicken appears in many forms, and then there is the great dish traditionally given to the pickers at harvest time: a stew of pork, ham, sausage with onions, carrots, cabbage, turnips and potatoes, both filling and delicious.     Cheese, too, plays a large part on the menu: Boursault, from the area where in 1845 a magnificent château was built for the Veuve Clicquot; the famous Brie de Meaux; tangy, rich Chaource and Maroilles, whose origins lie in Flanders which is now very much a Champagne cheese. These are but a few of the culinary delights awaiting the visitor, in an area which boasts a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, including Gérard Boyer's famous Les Crayères. Copyright © 1999 Maggie McNie. All rights reserved.