Champagne’s Sacred Triangle

Take a half-day drive east of Paris and you will find a region that’s a magnet for wine lovers. The area encompassing Reims, Chalons and Epernay contains special sights, special foods and that bubbly pleasure called Champagne. If it’s not made here, it’s not Champagne. The region encompasses four districts: Marne, Ardennes, Aube and Haute-Marne. The Ardennes comes from the name of the deep oak forests, but the Sacred Triangle is sacred because of the champagne. One can approach from the south via Troyes, but I prefer the drive from Paris through the southeastern part of Picardie. From Paris, I would take the time to visit Meaux, Château-Thierry, Pierrefonds and Soissons. From there, I would go from Reims to Epernay and then end up in Troyes. Here is what to do and look out for. When you head east from Paris, look for the tiny farm community of Sancy-les-Meaux. Here you will find a listing in your Relais et Châteaux guide for a converted old mansion, La Catonnière, with riding stables, tennis courts and a dining room to dream about. We spent three glorious days there, taking riding lessons, lolling around the pool after tennis and dining on garlic escargots, and ouillettes and stuffed trout. Remarkably, this was a foreshadow of things to come. The drive to Reims can be more interesting if you swing north to Pierrefonds, Compiègne and Soissons. The distances between the towns are short. You will be out of the Champagne region, but the route is more diverse. Pierrefonds is one of those lesser-known towns that boasts a magnificent 14th century château rebuilt by the architect Viollet-le-Duc during Napoleon III’s reign. It was reborn as an imperial residence with a moat, drawbridge, towers and sentry walks and is a classic example of medieval military architecture. Nearby Compiègne has a famous royal château designed as a summer residence for Louis XV; it later became a favorite of Napoleon III and his wife, Eugénie. The Forest of Compiègne contains a replica of a train car that sits in the Musée Wagon de l’Armistice. The 1918 armistice was signed here, as was the surrender of France to Hitler in 1940. Like most towns in the region, Soissons was greatly damaged during the war. But there is another great Relais et Château hotel available for visitors just south of the city. It has its own tiny canal and a wonderfully comfortable library. Reims is very close. It is a world-renowned Champagne center, especially for the grandes marques, or better names. But Reims is also a cathedral city, used after the 11th century for the coronation of French kings. Reims cathedral, Nôtre-Dame, has stood since the 5th century. Here, Charles VII was crowned in 1429 in a ceremony attended by Joan of Arc. The French Revolution and other wars significantly damaged the magnificent Gothic structure, but reconstruction occurred around the 1,500th anniversary of Clovis, King of the Franks. The rose window on the west facade should be seen when the sun is setting. Above it, on the outside, is the Gallery of Kings, decorated with over 2,300 statues, including fifty-six statutes that are effigies of French kings. The nave here compares admirably with the great nave at Chartres. Take time to visit the Palais du Tau, the archbishop’s palace adjoining the cathedral, dating from 1690. Its T-shape gives it the name Tau, the Greek letter for T. Visit the banquet room for a view of the 15th century Arras tapestries and the barrel-vaulted ceiling. See the axial chapel windows designed by Marc Chagall and constructed by local craftsmen. Reims is a large city with many good restaurants (some facing the cathedral) and many comfortable hotels. Reims also contains many reminders of Roman days; the The Porte Mars is a triumphal Augustan arch. And, another interesting place is the Salle Reddition, where General Eisenhower accepted the German surrender in 1945. But I wouldn’t leave this historic city without a visit to Basilique St-Rémy, the oldest church in Reims, and the museum at 53 rue Simon in the abbey. Head south to the wine center at Epernay, where you can visit one of the chalky caves and have a tasting. The main producer here is Moët et Chandon, with Mercier nearby. Either is a good choice. I chose Moët et Chandon and found myself tasting cold Champagne at ten o’clock in the morning. I discovered that Moët is the star of a group of many companies including Hennessy, Dom Perignon (named after the monk who perfected the technique of Champagne production), Pommery, and Dior perfumes. You can take a personalized tour at De Castellane winery. I recommend one of the tours below ground. There’s a lot to learn when it comes to Champagne. You’ll learn how the bubbles are produced during the second fermentation and how the sediment is removed when the neck of the bottle is dipped into frozen water and the sediment comes out as a block. You’ll also get a view of some of the industry’s advertising. Champagne companies spend a lot of money on aggressive ad campaigns. The Ardennes region, which experienced much fighting during WWI and WWII, includes the valley of the Meuse River. I especially recommend Revin with its old town, the fortress at Rocroi, and the largest fortified castle in Europe at Sedan. The Ardennes region extends northward to the Belgian border and is a magnet for hikers and people who want to hunt wild boar or observe pretty valleys dotted with priories, trenches and war cemeteries. There also are German cemeteries in the region that date back to WWI. The area contains considerable industry, including a nuclear power station, as well as 16th century timbered churches with precarious porches and strangely pointed gables. To the south you’ll find Chalons-sur-Marne amidst sleepy canals and verdant vineyards. A city of about 50,000 people, it contains old bridges and Romanesque towers. Stop and examine Nôtre-Dame-en-Vaux and St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Cathédrale St-Etienne) near the canal; you’ll see some of the best stained glass in the region. Once an island in the Marne, Chalons-sur-Marne is now in one of France’s most prosperous agricultural regions. You can leave the area to the south by going directly to Troyes, which is close to Auxerre (see the article on Burgundy). You are now in the Seine Valley, the ancient trade route between Flanders and Italy. This is a city famous for its old three-month long fairs that attracted craftsmen from all over Europe. The…