The Wine Fairy

This is Part Two (of Two) of a dream-worthy jaunt to France’s Champagne region. Check out Part One here.

Champagne may be a relatively small wine region, but it’s a huge business: A whopping 35% of France’s total wine exports by value. The world’s love for Champagne extends to wine tourism, with an estimated 3.5 million people visiting Reims and Épernay each year for tours and tastings.

In February, I was delighted to be one of them. I joined a small-group tour from Paris and spent the day cellar-hopping with seven newfound wine friends.

We began the day with an in-depth cellar tour at G.H. Mumm in Reims, where we learned all the basics of traditional-method production and maturation. A full glass of Grand Cordon Brut proved to everyone that yes, Champagne is still the best possible breakfast. (Like fruit, butter and toast–but all in one glass!)

Thus edified (and fortified), our next stop on the Champagne trail was Domaine Julien Chopin. They are a small producer in Monthelon, located just south of Épernay in the department of Marne.

These two consecutive tour stops could not have been more different. After the extravagance of Mumm–with its miles of cellars, posh gift shop, and museum-worthy collection of antique winemaking equipment–our grower-Champagne experience was cozy and hospitable. We sat around a farmhouse-style table and ate a homestyle meal paired with three pours of Julien Chopin’s small-batch Champagne.

Julien Chopin produces just around 55,000 bottles a year. The house specializes in expressive low-dosage Champagne based around Pinot Meunier. Our host poured three of Julien Chopin’s cuvées in succession. My favorite was the “Carte Noire” Brut Nature, redolent of white peaches, ripe orchard apples, and almond blossoms. We savored the sparkling wines alongside a feast of duck rillettes with country bread and poached chicken with mushroom and caper cream sauce.

After the meal came a taste of a local specialty: Single-varietal Ratafia Champenois. This is a fortified wine made from the taille–the second pressing–of Champagne grapes. (We tasted the Chardonnay, but Julien Chopin also makes ratafia from Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Pinot Blanc.) With flavors of golden raisins, honey, lemon zest, toasted nuts, and light spices from oak, it was a decadent addition to a selection of washed-rind cheeses. The cheese course was followed by macarons, and finally by a plate of chocolates made by nuns at nearby abbey.

After that exquisite meal, it was fair to say that all of us were ready to loaf around the table for an hour or two. But our driver/sommelier for the day, Huw, gently herded us back into the van for an “Insta moment” at a scenic overlook of the villages south of Épernay.

It was a damp but clear February day, and we could see for miles over the bare vines on the slope of the hill. After we’d taken our pictures, Huw, the most gracious guide imaginable, produced a surprise bottle of pink Champagne. He handed the bottle to me and I obliged, demonstrating for the group how to safely (if not 100% gracefully) deal with a foil, cage, and cork.

Our final appointment of the day was at Champagne Charles Mignon. So we hustled over to Épernay for a cellar tour and seated tasting at this small and well-respected Champagne house. Charles Mignon is run by a sixth-generation family of Champagne growers, known to wine nerds for both value and quality.

As I explore the wines of Champagne as a student, one of the most frustrating things is trying to understand what defines the “house styles” of the various producers. I usually gather more from researching technical sheets than I do from sponsored tastings and press materials, which tend to be big on marketing-speak and light on specifics.

Everybody has the best-quality fruit, the most gentle pressing, the most precise blending and aging, the most pleasing balance…so how can they taste so different? “They all want you to think it’s alchemy,” Huw told me with a smile.

Our tour at Charles Mignon was different. The tech sheets were all displayed in the gift shop alongside the bottles, giving exact info on blending, sugar content, tasting notes, and so on. Any questions about winemaking were directly and proudly answered.

“We are not fond of acidity in this house,” our cellar guide told the group, “so if you are, you will not find it here.” She emphasized that all of their wines undergo malolactic conversion to create a rich and round style. Dosage is on the generous side (8-9g/L of pure grape sugar for the core lineup of wines). Balance is maintained through the use of all-stainless fermentation and aging and the natural mineral freshness from the terroir.

They are equally transparent about their pricing strategy. Charles Mignon produces Champagnes at all 3 levels of the appellation system (Champagne AOC, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru) to appeal to all tiers of the Champagne market. Their entry-level Premium Reserve Brut is a strong traditional blend and is consistently cited by critics as a smart buy. (“From the insider to the newbie. Caterers like it!” reads the domaine’s website.)

A quick stroll through Charles Mignon’s dimly-lit tunnels, and we climbed back up to the ground floor for a guided tasting of three very enjoyable bottles: Their Brut, Premier Cru Brut, and Premier Cru Rosé. Happy and sated, we compared notes on the wines and made a toast to our fellow travelers.

At the exit, Charles Mignon has a well-stocked shop with seasonal gifts–and, most importantly, a cooler of chilled bottles containing much of their wine list. I picked up a bottle of the luscious-and-layered Premier Cru to share on the ride back to Paris. Along the way, we drove past the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay where people were starting to cluster on the sidewalk for their afternoon tasting appointments.

Which brings me to the final point of this article: If you’re ever on the fence about taking a group tour to wineries, do it!

Some wine lovers worry about giving up their independence while touring wine regions, and I get that. But I’ve said it before on The Wine Fairy blog, and I’ll say it again: The convenience, value, and camaraderie you get from a small-group tour just cannot be beat. You’re on vacation, so why spend your time driving or juggling appointments?

When day-tripping from Paris, I highly recommend our tour provider My WineDays. I confess I was nervous because it was my first time visiting Champagne and I don’t speak the language. But there was no waiting and no awkwardness. Our guide arranged everything and was prompt and welcoming, so we could focus on soaking up the beauty (and bubbles!) of this exceptional region.

What: Champagne Small-Group Tour with Wine Tastings and Lunch (from Paris)

Who: My WineDays

How much: From €310 (about $375) per adult 18+. Includes booking fees and taxes, all scheduled tastings, lunch, and pickup from hotels in Paris and drop-off in central Paris. Does not include additional wine or optional driver gratuity.

Wines tasted (prices are approximate local, in USD):

Julien Chopin “Carte Noire” Brut Nature Champagne (NV) – $30

Julien Chopin Blanc & Meuniers Brut Champagne (NV) – $33

Julien Chopin Blanc de Rosé Premier Cru Multi-Millésime Brut (NV) – $35

Julien Chopin Ratafia Champenois Chardonnay (NV) – $38

Dom Caudron “Fascinante” Rosé Champagne (NV) – $35

Charles Mignon “Premium Reserve” Brut Champagne (NV) – $27

Charles Mignon Premier Cru Brut Champagne (NV) – $33

Charles Mignon Premier Cru Rosé Brut Champagne (NV) – $33

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.