A Little About This Blog...
Everyone should be able to appreciate champagne - which is why I set up this blog.
It's more than a diary of my personal champagne journey - of learning, understanding and appreciating. It's a way of sharing my love for this magnificent cuvée in an easy to understand way so that others may be inspired (regardless of how much they know about wine) to delve deeper into their champagne experiences.
So that readers get the most out of sharing my experiences, I have provided links to further reading and other information to support the learning journey.
I hope you too are inspired and enjoy your journey as much as I do mine.
They were only 2.5 kilometres apart, but getting from Louis Roederer to Ruinart in Reims seemed like an impossible task the longer we waited for our cab amidst the drizzle and icy winds.
The generosity of time (and free-flowing champagne) bestowed upon us at Louis Roederer far exceeded our expectations. It was such a joy and indeed a treat - but we were now running terribly late for our next appointment at Ruinart, the oldest champagne house.
We nonetheless arrived, albeit with flat, wet hair and slightly stressed - much to the amusement of a few Americans already there. Oh well, at least they won't forget us in a hurry.
Champagne is unlike any other wine region in the world. It's how I imagine it would be to travel to the land of OZ. Minus Dorothy's red shoes and a few funny looking friends, it's like another world; one that people aspire to and is filled with all that represents living a beautiful life - regional gastronomy, provincial living, and - of course - champagne.
To this end, the region of Champagne should be another tourist mecca like Burgundy or Bordeaux - but it's not. Thank goodness for that. The yellow brick road that leads to the Champagne hubs of Reims or Epernay from Paris is less than an hour north-east by train. Whether you head there for a few hours or a few days, it's a wonderful respite from the calamity of Paris during high season.
Our entire four week European sojourn had been mapped around visiting Champagne in early October, taking care to observe likely harvesting times, which historically occur in September. In light of some pretty horrific downpours, devastating hail storms, and cooler weather, I kept a vigilant eye on any emerging news from Champagne that may have provided a hiccup in our schedule.
Not dissimilar to the difficulty Dorothy had getting in to see the Wizard of OZ, securing a tour or tasting at a champagne house or grower can be just as tricky - even in the best of times. So obtaining access during harvest is almost impossible as the houses and growers go into lock down. That is, if you're a relative nobody like me. Needless to say, as each day passed with no news from the CIVC (Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne) on harvesting times, our itinerary was beginning to look a little bleak.
But then, true to Champagne style, the bad weather went away just as it was thought all hope had been lost. The clouds parted, the sun came out, and the ripening began. Harvest commenced on 10 September in the Marne and Aube regions and concluded almost two weeks later. With every appointment confirmed (apart from one), we were set.
They were only 2.5 kilometres apart, but getting from Louis Roederer to Ruinart in Reims seemed like an impossible task the longer we waited for our cab amidst the drizzle and icy winds. 
