A taste of Champagne

The best B&B I've ever found is a great place to stay. The champagne region is famous not only as the home of the world's best known sparkling wines, but is also steeped in the history of World War I.

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We were only there in late December, certainly not peak tourist season, but it didn't seem like the public transport was particularly good in the area. Hiring a car is probably the best way to get around there.

The accomodation here is fantastic. The house is owned by an American couple who lived in Paris for 10 years. They bought this place in the country and clearly spent a lot of time renovating it, with really good taste. The decor is fairly bare but classy, the furnishings are comfortable and attractive, and the facilities are good - our room was equipped with an excellent shower for example.

The house is also equipped with an "endless pool," a pool with a variable speed current you can swim against.

Best of all is the welcome. Bill and Meredith are clearly interested in their guests and they get that tricky balance of showing interest and being helpful, while keeping yourself to yourself or doing your own thing when you want to, just right. For instance we arrived late and they prepared a simple dinner for us and didn't charge for it, then later they went way beyond the call of duty in helping us get our hire car back to the airport and get into Paris. They're also happy to share their experience of the area with you and tell you what's worth visiting.

We only stayed two nights in the champagne region but saw enough to want to go back - and when we do, there's only one place we'll be thinking about staying! Very highly recommended...

You can see more of the B&B at http://www.marneweb.com/bnb/indexeng.htm

Firstly I should explain that this wonderful restuarant isn't in Reims, but in Reiully, which is a small village perhaps 30km away. But it's so good, I would recommend travelling to it if you're staying in the Champagne region (and particularly if you're staying in "The Bed & Breakfast of the Champagne Route" which is just over the road). The Relais also offers accommodation, incidentally.

The dining here is formal, with polite, very attentive service. The food is exquisite, beautifully crafted and presented, and it tastes divine. The menu offers rich food, with traditional ingredients of the area, but interpreted in a modern way. There are a la carte menus at two prices, plus a full "Menu Degustation" which involves many courses and extensive choice. You can see the menus at http://www.relaisreuilly.com/

The wine list is very good too, with a huge choice of wines, mostly (inevitably) French but from a range of grapes, areas and prices - although don't expect anything too cheap!

The food, service and ambience combine to make this a fabulous meal, worthy of a special occasion and it makes you feel privileged to be there. Outstanding.

We found ourselves in Reims, on a damp, chilly Sunday afternoon at the end of December. The city probably wasn't at it's most attractive or welcoming and many of the champagne houses were closed.

However we were delighted to find that Piper Heidsieck's cave was open - especially as it's probably our favourite champagne. And if it wasn't before, it was after the visit!

The tour takes you underground, through a few cellars where the ancient tools of the trade are on display, then deeper to a chamber (full of bottles) where you board your buggy. This takes you for a spin round the cellars with a commentary explaining (in your chosen language) the story of Piper Heidsieck; the company and the champagne. It covers both history and the methods of production as well as enlightening the visitor with some champagne trivia.

At the end of the tour you find yourself in a mock up of the set of Casablanca - in Sam's bar of course - curious as Piper Heidsieck wasn't used in the film!

Then you make your way upstairs to the opulent bar where you are treated to a glass of the good stuff, or three glasses if you've bought the upscale ticket (one regular, one vintage and one rose, I think). There's a shop too, where you can stock up on a wide selection of the champagne varieties in all shapes and sizes, and also Heidsieck branded accoutrements and baubles.

If you're interested in Champagne and you're in the area, you can't miss visiting these two towns. Each has it's own character yet they're both dominated, economically at least, by the champagne producers and their supporting industries.

Epernay is the smaller of the two and all the main champagne houses based there are headquartered on the same boulevard which has some impressive architecture. It's interesting to note the different styles of the different houses, and how each relates to their product and branding.

Reims is a larger city and as well as the champagne houses, it has a major attraction in the cathedral, which is pretty awesome. The town centre is an attractive mix of fairly grand boulevards and small, twisty back streets. There are also a few big squares, with shops specialising in wine and champagne, and bars and restaurants aplenty.