First stop was a family run vineyard called J. Charpentier...
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| We were lucky to visit them on a day when they were labeling the bottles |
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The larger bottles had to be labeled by hand
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| Our tour guides, the owner's wife and son |
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| OMG that's a lot of Champagne! |
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| Mom and me posing by the massive barrels |
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| Champagne Cages
They are used to turn the bottles so that the sediment can be collected in preparation for disgorgement. See, we learned stuff.
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| Cheers! |
Next stop was Champagne Tribaut Schloesser. This was also a family run vineyard, but on a larger scale than J. Charpentier. We didn't get a tour of the production, but we sure did taste a lot of Champagne...
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| Dad getting the low down from our guide |
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| Decor of the tasting room |
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| Kevin posing with "Code Noir" |
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| The genetic code of the champagne |
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| The fancy velvet box the bottle comes in |
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| An example of their innovative Champagnes; this one is like a port |
My Parents and I also went on a tour of castles in the Loire Valley. Poor Kevin had to go back to work and couldn't join in on the historical fun. I know he was heartbroken, but c'est la vie. My favorite castle was the Château de Chenonceau, where we were able to eat lunch at an excellent restaurant, l'Orangerie, located on the castle grounds. It was for sure one of our favorite meals of the trip. Here are some pictures of the castle and lunch...
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...and the wine flowed like water.
ReplyDeleteDid you try Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot or Pommery?
When we visited Pmmery, they had a "live" art show in their cave. By "live" I mean, there were electric guitars plugged in sitting on tables, with birds flying around. When the birds would land, it would make music. It was a site to see AND hear!
No we didn't, but sounds very interesting! Next time we'll have to check it out.
ReplyDelete