Owing to the blind monk Dom Perignon’s important
role in the development of Champagne, Hautvillers calls itself ‘Le berceau du
Champagne’ aka… “The Cradle of Champagne...”
Dom
Perignon, known as the inventor of champagne, ultimately put the region of
Champagne in North-eastern France on the map. And thanks to the TGV bullet
train, I reached Reims (pronounced ‘rance’), the region’s Capital, in less than
an hour from Paris. From here I drove down to Hautvillers (translates into high
place), a gorgeous village founded in 658, overlooking the Marne and surrounded
by vineyards, it is here in the Abbey that Dom Perignon made the cloudy, effervescent,
regional wine of the time (the mid-1600s) into something which is clear, bubbly
and cork popping now known as Champagne.
THE WALK
As
I walked the cobbled streets of the picture perfect town, I could see history
everywhere I looked - Roman ruins, a medieval centre, street side cafes and
creperies, and of course the stupendous Abbey of Saint Pierre where also rests
the tombstone of Benedictine monk Dom Petrus Perignon. But what I loved most
was seeing the wide sweep of bountiful Champagne vineyards along the slopes of
the Mountain of Reims. And when I looked up, I could see the whimsical house
signs. 
CELLAR VISIT
And
while the Abbey was beautiful and had some gorgeous stained glass windows, you
don’t go to Hautvillers for just the Abbey — you also go
for the Champagne. ‘88 Rue d’ Eguisheim’ is open daily 9am-noon and 2-6pm so I
called in advance for a free tour in English (there was a small charge for
tastings), I found it to be a charming, family operation producing particularly
well-regarded Blanc de Blancs and vintage champagnes.
There are far more
champagne houses than anyone has time to visit so I planned just the famous
ones. And sure enough, after the cellar visits, I feel quite educated on how
champagne is made. Traditionally made using a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
and Pinot Meunier (black grapes), but one can also find Blanc de Blancs which
is 100% Chardonnay or Blanc de Noirs, two Pinots only. It is fermented twice,
which gives it the bubbles. In the second fermentation, yeast and sugar are
added and the liquid is sealed and aged for approximately one and a half years.
The yeast inside the bottle consumes the sugar, releasing alcohol and gas.
Interestingly, as the champagne ages, the yeast begins to die, leaving sediments.
At this stage, one has to start riddling the bottles i.e. rotating them every few days and storing them tilted upside-down, so that the sediments move down into the neck and can be removed. Lees are then removed by freezing the only neck of the bottle, and removing the cap. The pressure from inside the bottle pushes out the ice with the lees frozen inside, additional blends of wine are added to top off the bottle and it is recapped. And of course, it does not lose all of its bubbles because the gas in champagne is actually in the wine itself, not just added carbonation. Interestingly in the days of Dom Perignon, bottles were pushed into sand piles so that the sediment could collect. It was in the nineteenth century that ‘Veuve Clicquot’ invented the riddling table and the process of turning and tilting the bottles became more efficient!
At this stage, one has to start riddling the bottles i.e. rotating them every few days and storing them tilted upside-down, so that the sediments move down into the neck and can be removed. Lees are then removed by freezing the only neck of the bottle, and removing the cap. The pressure from inside the bottle pushes out the ice with the lees frozen inside, additional blends of wine are added to top off the bottle and it is recapped. And of course, it does not lose all of its bubbles because the gas in champagne is actually in the wine itself, not just added carbonation. Interestingly in the days of Dom Perignon, bottles were pushed into sand piles so that the sediment could collect. It was in the nineteenth century that ‘Veuve Clicquot’ invented the riddling table and the process of turning and tilting the bottles became more efficient!
At
the end of the tour we were given a tasting. In our case we were very lucky
because they were sampling special vintage champagne made from only Chardonnay
grapes …. Now that’s the way I love my holiday! And of course I loved the
tasting session, and to be honest I cheated …drank instead of spitting it out….I
mean how I could waste it. My departure was looming in the near future. For the
time being, I let the exhilaration of champagne bubbles lift my spirits with
hopes of more unexpected moments to come. I’d say that my most fond memory is
watching those delicate bubbles escaping to the top of my champagne glass. All
in all, Hautvillers treated me extremely well. But alas, my Champagne days were
over! I would also recommend bringing back a Dom Perignon from ‘Moet &
Chandon’ as it is one of the best-selling labels of arguably the world’s
greatest champagne house. When Moet & Chandon bought the Abbey of
Hautvillers in 1792, they promptly put the monk on the label to sell more wine.
And yes I did not forget to take a picture of the famous Dom Perignon, who doubled
the size of the Abbey’s vineyard while it was under his stewardship.
BASIC RULES TO FIND THE
PERFECT MATCH FOR YOUR CHAMPAGNE
A
special celebration, an impromptu party with friends or just for pure enjoyment
of a flute … these moments deserve the very best. According to your mood or
imagination, depending on the ingredients and the amount of time you have,
there are endless combinations: from the basic to the sophisticated recipe, or
for a quick snack, eaten delicately with your fingers, without fuss and at your
leisure, so simply keep these basic rules in mind. Heavy foods or main
entrees, usually do not go well with Champagne, however there are in numerous
foods that pair beautifully with it, making for yummy finger foods and an
elegant looking soirée. The thumb rule is that the food shouldn't overtake the
wine.
HARMONY (OF LIKE TASTES): When the sensations produced by the Champagne are
similar to those produced by the dish (sweet- sweet and Acidic- acidic etc.)
Example: Vintage Rose with a lamb tagine (spicy- spicy)
BALANCE (OF OPPOSITES): When two opposite flavours produce a balanced, and
therefore pleasant, result (acidic – sweet, acidic – fat).
Example: Vintage Reserve and chicken in a cream sauce (cream:
fat – acidic wine).
TO BE AVOIDED WITH CHAMPAGNES
Vinegar,
Fresh eggs, White asparagus, Cauliflower and other ‘sulphurous’ vegetables,
Excessive garlic, Pistachios & Chocolate
QUIRKY
FACT
Before the discovery of the de-sedimentation process,
Champagne was used as a dessert drink? That was because it allowed time for the
sediment to settle into the stem of the glass, while dinner was being eaten!
FACT FILE
Perignon
was born around 1638 A.D. and became a Benedictine monk at the age of 19. In
1668 A.D., he transferred to the Abbey of Hautvillers and was appointed as its
Treasurer and Cellar Master.
Best Way to Reach- Champagne-Ardenne
region (the official name) is in North Eastern France, 129km northeast of Paris.
Fly Air France to Paris and then take a TGV onto Reims and then drive onto
Hautvillers.
Visa and Currency- Indians
require a Schengen Visa to enter France and the currency used is the Euro
(approximately 65 INR).
Best Way to move around- Hire
a car.
Must do- Reserve visits to
Champagne cellars at least a day in advance. Most cellars offer at least three
English tours daily.
Must know- Remember that after
pouring Champagne into the Champagne tulips do not swirl the champagne in your
glass like wine, it will destroy in mere seconds the bubbles that took minimum
three years to produce!
published in India Today Travel Plus
