I recently wrote about wine regions which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here comes the next wine district.
You do not travel to Champagne for the region’s spectacular scenery. For spectacular it is not. Rather, you find mildly rolling hills in this historic war-torn area. But it is partly deceptive. There are breath-takingly steep vineyard slopes here as well. Nor is it for its landscape that this region has been put on the UNESCO list but for their cellars. They are often abandoned quarries transformed into dramatic wine cellars, used by the big champagne houses.
But when you go to Champagne you should not just visit “the big houses”. That would be to miss the real soul of Champagne. You must venture out into the country-side to the small villages and visit the independent growers, vignerons independents. More character and less money.
Champagne is of course a regular wine tour destination on our program, either as a full-fledged destination in its own right or as one of the stages on our Three Classics wine tour. We mix big houses with small family producers and add in plenty of gastronomic meals. Currently we offer Champagne as a custom wine tour in English. (On our Swedish program it is a staple, back several times a year.)
Read more on the wine regions that have been included on the Unesco World Heritage list; the next article will be published in a day or so.
