six different champagnes in 10cl glasses. If you like a particular champagne, you simply walk down into the cellar below the bar and buy one. From Épernay it’s only a few miles drive
north to Hautvillers, where champagne was fi rst created three centuries ago. According to tradition, the ingenious idea of mixing various grape varieties from the Champagne-Ardenne region and sealing the lot with a cork held in place with a wire collar to withstand the fermentation pressure came from Dom Pérignon (1638-1715), cellar master at the Benedictine Abbey in Hautvillers. Hautvillers is one of those picture-perfect French villages with a bar, church and several pretty
houses. In the square you’ll fi nd the tourist offi ce where you get a gentle walking tour with an explanation of Pérignon’s life and the effect he had on perfecting cham- pagne; the highlight is the Abbey where he is buried. Northeast of Hautvillers, situated in the wooded hills around Verzy, is a totally new concept in enjoying champagne—the world’s fi rst champagne bar in the trees. Le Perching Bar sits on a wooden platform supported by 20-foot stilts, accessed by a number of boardwalks suspended between the trees. From Verzy it is only a fl ute or two of bubbly to Reims, a town with a rich history, and together with Épernay the most important center of champagne production and home to some prestigious producers such as Mumm and Tattinger.
ACCOMMODATION FIT FOR A KING Staying at one of the 150 historic cha-
teaus, manor houses or stately homes is an excellent way to experience France’s Cham- pagne-Ardenne region and to complement the golf and champagne lifestyle. A classic
56 /
NCGA.ORG / SUMMER 2011 1
Golfers are quickly fi nding out the province of Champagne- Ardenne offers a lot more than just wine and chateaus.
2
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76