I always tease my Bandinini and Bandanettes that I never go back to a resort that tries to fob me off with Cava when I want the real stuff, and all roads should lead to Champagne.
While the whole year, or in fact any year, is a good time to visit the Champagne region, east of Paris, notre amis tell us that this weekend is tres bon.
With it being the 30th year of the Champagne Route Celebration which draws tens of thousands to Les Riceys.
Run by winegrowers who better it is the perfect gateway to the region and the greatest sparkling wine of them all.
En Route
Naturellement, you might ask how do you navigate then the quaffing et the driving.
Mais oui, our hosts offer a Champagne Route Kit made up of a Champagne flute and holder, a travel diary and a breathalyser, all for €4o.
You provide the designated driver.
We’ll focus on the central hub of the village of Les Ricey, your starting point.
In the far south of Champagne, on the border with Burgundy, in the heart of the Côte des Bar.
Lovely bubbly
Boasting 866 hectares of vines, Les Riceys stands out as the only commune to have 3 AOPs: Champagne, Coteaux Champenois and Rosé des Riceys.
Stretching along the Laigne wine valley, the three villages have their own listed Renaissance church, Ricey-Bas, Ricey-Haute Rive and Ricey-Haut, each classified as Historic Monuments.
Its architectural heritage is particularly rich and well-preserved, thanks to its history, the quality of the limestone used, its privileged location outside the war zones and the very specific style of these winegrowers’ houses.
The commune has no fewer than two castles, a dovecote, six chapels, seven wash houses and a market hall of imposing dimensions.
Not to mention the eighteen cadoles and countless winegrowers’ houses, all clad in white stone, the oldest of which date back to the Renaissance.
