T
his symbol of good cheer was born of the hard-
working hand of man that knew how to bend
and shape the solid earth of France’s Champagne
region into one of the most famous vineyards
in the world. For it was three centuries of labour by men
and women that turned a cold, humid landscape of
relatively poor soil of almost pure chalk, responsible
for the wine’s distinctive taste, into a world-famous
drink synonymous with celebration.Behind the name Champagne is a unique
diversity of flavours and savours with the
Champagne producing district or appellation
d’origine contrôlée very carefully defined.
Champagne is made from the fermented
and re-fermented juice of largely
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes
grown on a group of select hillsides
and slopes, the vast majority of which
are concentrated in the department of
the Marne, in and around Reims and
Epernay. The Champagne region, too,
is studded with towns surrounded
by vineyards in which a combination
of soil and climatic conditions are
enhanced by the hand of man. There
are mythical towns known for their
grand cru champagnes like Aÿ to
the east of Epernay lined with high
Gothic-style churches and wood
framed houses including one that
is said to have served as Henri IV’s
fermenting room. And to the south
of Epernay is Vertus whose Blanc
de Blancs champagne is classed as
a premier cru, and just outside of
Epernay is the scenic village of Damery
located in the regional park of La
Montaigne de Reims.The vineyards of Aÿ, this small town on
the banks of the Marne have been inexistence for a millennium. Wine was already being made
here by the Gallo-Romans and the town with its celebrated
wine drew a host of monarchs from Henry IV to Francis I
and England’s Henry VIII of the house of Tudor.The family-owned Maison Edouard Brun & Cie, which
was founded in 1898, is found in Aÿ producing just
200,000 bottles a year. This year the house has
brought out its Blanc de Noirs Aÿ, Grand Cru,
aged in old oak casks and made entirely with the
Pinot Noir grape variety.Founded in 1921 in Aÿ the Maison
Collet elaborates its champagne with
gastronomy in mind. Its emblematic
champagne the Brut Art Déco is a blend
of the three grape varieties used in
champagne making, Chardonnay,
Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and is
aged for a minimum of four years. The
house recommends it to be paired
with a carpaccio of veal or red mullet
flavoured with mint.René Lallier founded the house of
Lallier in Aÿ in 1906 and it would
remain in the family until 2004 when
it was purchased by Francis Tribaut, a
fourth generation of winemakers and
grape growers in Champagne. The
grand cru champagnes elaborated
exclusively with Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay grapes are carefully
aged in the vaulted cellars of the
house in Aÿ. The house uses its own
leaven in the fermentation process,
which is cultivated and developed
from natural leavens present in the
Chardonnay grapes in the house’s
Grand Cru Loridon vineyard in Aÿ. The
house brings out three collections of
Grand Cru with the house’s Blanc deChampagne
Perrier-Jouët champagne flute delicately decorated with anemones; Jean-Noël Haton’s Cuvée Vintage Extra 2005
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