“ I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not.” – Coco Chanel

Paris could fill all your days, but if you do venture out, particularly in the winter, what better temptress than champagne! The city of Reims is home to several major champagne houses. Picking one is a difficult task but so   worth the trip.  Maison Ruinart welcomes visitors past their iron gates and through a high chalk walled path leading to the sleek reception building of stone and glass.

It is rich and luxurious. A garden surrounds the house with a collection of 20 pieces of art installations amid garden bed plantings to combat climate change. Ruinart is a unesco site; one of only six houses that have the crayeres, natural chalk ( don’t confuse it with limestone) caves.

They are underground cathedral-like caves dug out to 131 ft deep. Ruinart boasts the largest. The caves are cool, moist and dark, a naturally controlled temperature underground which is ideal for aging the vintage.

The caves hold racks of bottles at various stages of fermentation as well art. One of the  highlights of the 2 hour tour is an impressive (and massive) art installation made of wood and lights.  On cue the music fills one of  the largest caves with a kaleidoscope of light and sound. 

We ascend the stairs(no easy task)  into the light, and proceed to the salon with the cream colored sofas and expansive windows and artwork and mirrors. Lileon, our ambassador/ tour guide, dressed crisply and elegantly in his blue suit, arrives with 4 with bottles of different champagnes to taste and compare. he describes each expertly As he pours into the tulip shaped glasses ( not flutes – you want to taste and smell as you drink). A little champagne among “friends “ and our little group is bonding and sharing experiences. The conversation flows so easily that Lileon slips out and returns with yet another bottle of champagne to sample.

If you can get to Reims in September 2029, Ruinart will celebrate 300 years! Based on our experience, it promises to be an event to remember! 

We had reserved a table at a local restaurant for lunch. A great joy we have is eating somewhere where despite our limitations with language, we are surrounded by locals who frequent this restaurant. It was full. A pleasant buzz filled the air as families meeting for lunch with grandparents, colleagues having lunch before returning to work, and a couple touring from CT joined the party.

The food was exquisite. A cauliflower and mushroom soup and a patè with salad, followed by a beef cheek with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. The conviviality of the patrons around us and the care of the staff ( who spoke little English but were gracious and kind) made this a priceless experience.

The other draw of Reims… the Cathedral. The Cathedral at Reims is a beautiful  and one of the largest example of mid gothic architecture with an amazing 2303 statues.

Even more mind boggling is it to 60 years to build ( as compared to 200 years for Notre Dame in Paris). The coronation of many French kings took place here.

After such an exquisite day, we made our way back to the train station. As our day came to an end, our journey back took us to a more remote station out in the country where we were treated to a beautiful winter sunset that painted the sky as we sipped a chocolate chaud! Ah! La vie en rose!