Culinary Travel To Champagne, Anyone?
For the true oenophile, champagne represents an apogee of the winemaker's skill. Arguably the world's most famous wine, champagne is made in only one region in the world, Champagne itself. A mere 45 minutes via bullet train from Paris' Gare de l'Est takes you to Reims, the capital of a region home to no less than 94 producers of Champagne. The city itself is well worth a walk about. Notre-Dame, Reims Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece, is best known as the place where the Kings of France were crowned. Reims Cathedral is also home to stainless steel windows attributed to artist Marc Chagall and the Jacques Simon Workshop where they were made. Outside the cathedral the streets of Reims are lined with Art Deco buildings that rival those of South Beach, Miami and New York City. They're a perfect preview of what you will see when you travel south from the City to Aÿ, a half hour away. Aÿ is at the heart of the historical birthplace of champagne and home to one of its most fascinating attractions: La Cité du Champagne Collet-COGEVI.
The drive from Reims to Aÿ takes you directly through Montagne de Reims Regional National Park. These wooded hillsides are covered by vineyards producing champagne itself, an area of some 120,000 acres in the park alone. And there's no better entrée into the world of champagne than what visitors will discover in Aÿ itself. In Aÿ the visitor will find La Cité du Champagne, one of the most complete champagne destinations anywhere. Going beyond a mere museum, La Cité blends the history of viticulture techniques with the story of the oldest co-operative in the Champagne region. And it's here that you will also find, Villa Collet, the repository of the collection of Champagne Collet's founder, Raoul Collet.
Despite Champagne's association with joyful celebrations, its past is one of great conflict. In 1911, there was actually a Champagne Revolution. Disease had killed a great number of vines all over France. This was long before France identified its "Appelations d'origine controllée", which keep a tight rein on which grapes go into which wine and where they can be grown. Lesser grapes flooded Champagne, diluting its reputation. The citizenry rose up burning buildings using 'foreign grapes' as the locals struggled against 'fraudulent' champagne. It was at this time that the first wine Cooperative was formed in Champagne. Called the "Cooperative Générales des Vignerons de la Champagne" and shortened to COGEVI, it was created in 1921. While its membership now includes 780 winemakers, credit for its foundation goes to Raoul Collet, whose Champagne Collet has emerged as one of the great unheralded wines of the region. Champagne Collet exuberantly embraces its roots in the 1920s and its Art Deco period. At the Maison COGEVI you will find yourself immersed in the culture of Champagne. Here with the help of 1500 documents, the visitor is taken through the social, economic and history evolution of champagne.
The Villa Collet is a treasure trove of period objects, furniture, decoration and haute couture with which the brand is closely aligned. Finally La Cité du Champagne invites visitors to experience its century old wine cellars built 125 feet under the hillsides. Once there, there is 650 foot long 'wine library' showcasing more than 30,000 wine bottles. And of course, this is followed by a wine-tasting of the superb range of Collet's wines. La Cité du Champagne offers three distinct visits to their world of champagne. These range from a two hour survey and wine tasting, to a half day visit featuring a wine tasting of 4 champagnes and a buffet lunch. Or one can opt for the Gastronomic Visit, an all-day affair and a true immersion in Champagne, a 3 course gastronomic lunch followed by a second wine tasting in the Wine Library. For complete information about La Cite de Champagne, its offerings and schedules, email cite@champagne.collet.com
Cité du Champagne Collet-Cogevi
32 bis Rue Jeanson
51160 Aÿ-Champagne
00 33 (0)3 26 55 98 88