* This piece appeared first here in the Sunday Times Lifestyle
No other tipple carries the same air of sophistication or association with celebration as Champagne. For twenty-two years, this bubble-infused elixir has accompanied major milestones and many a memorable moment of my adult life. While something is to be said about the comparable quality of South African bubbly, there’s also something to be said about drinking the real thing at its place of provenance.
Spending the summer in England, I had to pinch myself to remember that France was a mere hop across the channel. With my coveted Schengen Visa in hand, I eagerly joined two friends on a journey to taste our way through the noble République. Paris is an easy hour’s flight from London or twenty-four minutes on the fast train. In a flash, we were in Reims – the start of the Champagne region. This convenient accessibility makes the region an obvious choice for tourists.
Researching the endless options in trip preparation, my browser scrolled onto an offer too good to pass over: a luxurious houseboat that navigates the scenic canals of Champagne. Where you can moor at a different destination every evening, without the hassle of a daily pack-up or travel between stays.
Being the avid drinkers that we are, the three of us would be experiencing the area in an utterly unique way. While an inn tucked away on a cobble-stoned village street, or a swanky five-star hotel in the vineyards might have their perks, this would be a story worth sharing.
In addition, the eco-boat is equipped with ebikes for cycling to the Champagne Houses and back (no need to hire a car or pay for taxis) and if that’s not enough, on our return to the boat, a steaming Nordic hot tub on the deck will be there to greet us. A second pinch required, yes this was all real!
The Land of Bubbles
Most wine drinkers will know, that for a bottle to brandish the name “Champagne” the wine must have had its origin and creation in the Champagne region while applying the Méthode Champenoise or Traditional Method (a strictly regulated list of requirements that dictate every step of the production process).
Today, Champagne boasts around 16,000 grape growers, 4,300 producers, and 370 houses. The region’s terroir is marked by chalky and clay soils, which are ideal for Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.
In 2015 the Champagne was declared a UNESCO heritage site, adding to its celebration of ‘place’ and history. In decades past, the focus has been on tasting, but now it shifted towards education and experience, giving guests a greater immersive experience.
Day 1: Meet the Boat
Upon our arrival, Nicholas – one of the owners – enthusiastically greeted us at Reims station. Soon his midnight-blue Volvo was coursing through the country lanes, flanked by virescent vines and charming rural villages. Twenty minutes later we pulled up alongside the houseboat with a second warm greeting from Sandra, Nicholas’ charming wife.
For the two of them, the dream of a unique hospitality project began in September 2021. Sandra initially wanted a castle with horses, but Nicholas eventually persuaded her to migrate to something a little more accessible – hence the houseboat idea. “Our friends initially thought we were a little crazy, but soon they realised the novelty of the offering.”
They were determined to be hands-on right from the start. The architect used their ideas to produce the final product, and even when some of their requests were impossible (like the onboard Nordic bath for example) they persisted.
Generously proportioned at 15 by 4 meters, the boat boasts two king-on-suite bedrooms (one with an overhead retractable bed for another person). An ample central living space with a fully equipped kitchen also sports a leather sleeper couch – stretching the sleeping capacity to seven if necessary. While the moderate July temperatures meant we slept comfortably with the windows open, there is air-conditioning and heating in the rooms if required. On the rear, a staircase gives access to the solarium lounge above; where we spent countless hours reclining on the steamers as the postcard landscapes rolled by.
While the boat has an element of business, for Nicholas and Sandra it is their love child and passion project nonetheless. Their pride in it was evident, and as we cruised the canals over the following days, the boat garnered stares of admiration from fishermen, cyclists, and passersby – all offering words of approval and interest – resulting in well-earned glowing smiles from the couple.
After a quick lunch at the local restaurant, the Pressoria would be our first vino-outing – a relatively new development to the region which we were told was a must-visit by our hosts. Created in partnership with the local villages, the Pressoria is a multi-sensory education experience – think of it as a wine museum-cum?-tech-expo.
The clever use of projections, sound and space provided us with a superbly tangible experience. Bringing to life the mechanics of earth, climate, and winemaking that results in this celebrated drink – vine roots would dart across the floors, fragrance jars imparted cultivar aromas and textures, and an interactive bubble wall left us excitedly skirting its edges.
This symphony of sensation is the finest wine educational experience I’ve ever visited and served as a brilliant introduction to the region and wines we’d soon be tasting (and yes, the experience most certainly included a tasting at the end).
After stocking up at the local supermarket on baguettes, cheese and cured meats, we walked back to the houseboat to find the Nordic bath preheated, and the boat positioned to watch the rather appropriately Rosé-tined sunset.
Day 2: Time for Tasting
With no shortage of Champagne Houses, it is a daunting task to know which to choose – especially for a varied tasting experience that doesn’t only take in the big names. Here’s where Sandra and Nicholas’s intuitive hosting continues – knowing the area intimately, and considering my email request, a suggested itinerary was curated and sent to us.
Once we made one or two minor tweaks, our hosts booked everything for us – saving countless time on research, emails, and phone calls.
Ready to dive glass-first into the tastings, we were fortunate enough to be collected by none other than Lallier’s delightful Global Brand Ambassador Sarah Durand (talk about your hosts being connected). Sarah certainly has a glittering role and her passion for both brand and region is contagious. Since the House in Äy (read tasting room) was undergoing a few renovations, we joined her at Lallier’s cellar for a tasting and conversation.
Every wine in the sparkling line-up seemed a showstopper, but looking back Reflexion was a magnificent fizz: a multi-vintage cuvée that paid homage to the characteristics of the year but was also underpinned by the heritage of the estate through the blending of 30% of reserve wines from previous vintages. Ouvrage was however the hero bottle: a Grand Cru produced from only two plots. This hyperlocal expression of the region endowed with five years of fermentation on the lees to reach this level of quality.
I was impressed with Lallier’s biodiversity garden – particularly their bee-powered terapi (cleverly devised from the words of terroir and apiculture). This prompted the conversation around sustainability in the region. Sarah quickly reminded us that “everything is thanks to Mother Nature. And it’s her who has the final word.” Lallier is HVE certified (High Environmental Value) and then also VDC (Viticulture Durable en Champagne) – an additional certification considering the region’s specificity.
Back in Äy, we shifted to the Champagne House of Guy Charbaud. Here our host Anna led us through our first experience of the subterraneous tunnels Champagne is so well known for. Running for kilometres beneath the villages, these caverns nurture precious bottles in cool underground temperatures on mass/in their thousands. We walked through a section of their 1500 meters of tunnels – the oldest section of the cellar dating to 1810 – where 500,000 bottles sat waiting patiently for release to be enjoyed around the world.
Finally, we took a tipsy saunter back to the boat for another session in the hot tub to take Dom Perignon’s famed words to heart “Come quickly, I am drinking the stars”. Here we were quite literally drinking the stars from our hot tub while taking in a canopy of a glittering firmament above.
Day 3: Vines and Villages
Hautvillers – proud custodian of its Grand Cru vineyards – is considered to be the ‘quintessential’ champagne village. On our ebikes, it was a surprisingly easy climb up the hill arriving at the enchanting hamlet, home to a host of family-run champagne houses.
At Champagne Fernand Lemaire, fourth-generation owner Benoit is one of the “vigneron independent” or “small growers”, who proudly ushered us through his family’s cellar and caves. “In the 1980’s there were several thousand of us grower-producers, but now the number is around 700. The pressures of handling everything ourselves are immense.” Our tour was concluded with a tasting of several of their labels, with the Millésime 2012 being our favourite – after umpteen years on the lees the butter and brioche on the palate was quite simply divine.
The Abbey Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers is a magnificent church worth visiting, and also the gravesite of Dom Pérignon – the famed 18th-century pioneer of the champagne-making process. Walking past the large bronze statue of the revered monk as we meander the village lanes, Café d’Hautvillers presented itself – the town’s central eatery where traditional French favourites are served up. The mammoth 1.3kg sirloin was enough to feed all three of us, leaving enough leftovers for our evening meal.
Before stocking up on fresh baguettes and pastries from the local boulangerie, we cycled to the lookout beyond the Abbey, where the views across the valley were as enthralling as our cycle down to the boat.
Day 4: Champagne Avenue
No visit to the region would be complete without a stroll through Epernay’s Avenue de Champagne – a near fairy-tale experience of walking past one impressive Champagne House after another.
After visiting several of the independent growers and vignerons during the week, it was time to experience one of the big names. Moët & Chandon was the choice, and after a stroll through the store, we settled for a vintage tasting in the garden (their underground tours need booking in advance).
Sadly it was time to bid our hosts-but-now-friends goodbye, after what must be the most clever and thoroughly enjoyable way to visit Champagne: the houseboat experience that will ripple fondly through our memories for many years to come.
Quick Guide
- Boat hire: Starts at €549 per night for up to seven pax, and includes personal itinerary creation, skipper, ebikes, and eco wood for the Nordic bath. www.my-house-boat.fr
- Pressoria: €18pp for the two-hour experience, including tasting. pressoria.com
- Lallier: Tastings only by private arrangement. champagne-lallier.com
- Moët Tasting: Best booked in advance, from €29. www.moet.com
- Café d’Hautvillers Lunch: €80 for our meals, and bottle of wine dhautvillers.com
- Train cost: from Paris to Reims from €29. sncf-connect.com
- Flight cost: R2000 return trip from London to Paris with easyjet.com
