Champagne at Dom Caudron

Yesterday was delightfully busy with our small press tour group that followed the end of the International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC.) Following a quick, light breakfast at the Continental Hotel in Reims, we boarded a Champagne shuttle bus that took us to the Cathedral of Notre Dame. This historic building is on the UNESCO World Heritage site. The cathedral has many sculptures of angels, stained glass windows and a long history. Of particular interest to our group was the stained glass window that was donated to the cathedral. The colorful window depicts the growing of grapes and winemaking. Our guide conveyed his enthusiasm about the history and architecture of the building.

Our next stop was Champagne Taittinger in Reims where we walked through deep and long caves of chalk. After climbing down the stairs into the caves and then returning to the reception area, we were rewarded with the tasting of several Taittinger champagnes.

Our next stop was Dom Caudron, a champagne house in Passy-Grigny. Upon walking inside we saw numerous pieces of old winemaking equipment. Dom Caudron is a cooperative that works with 75 grape growers. On the same floor, an area was set aside for our lunch. We enjoyed a delightful assortment of foods with champagnes.

Our final stop was Champagne Charlie, a small family owned champagne house. The owner and her daughter provided a delightful champagne tasting in a room adjacent to the spacious tasting room. We also toured the winemaking area.

After returning to our hotel we met down stairs for quick tasting of two wines from India provided by one of our group. It was the first time I’ve had wines from India. I found the sparkling wine produced with Chenin Blanc grapes to be light and tasty. This sparkling wine would be good as an aperitif or it would pair well with food. The red still wine was produced with Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. The aroma and taste were of intense notes of cinnamon and cloves.

A short time later we walked across the street for dinner at FLO. For dinner we had salad followed by mashed potatoes and succulent, tender roast duck. Dessert was a yummy chocolate mouse.

Watch for more specific write-ups about these special places.

Looking forward to tomorrow, although we have an early start time.

Cheers!

Kathy