Inside the Region - Travels, Tales, and Terroir
We landed in Paris for one of the world's great wine shows, but before the crowds, the halls, and the serious tasting, we took a detour that felt like the real beginning: Champagne itself.
A quick train ride dropped us into Épernay, and with it, our first steps into this brand-new adventure. Walking the Avenue de Champagne, it was impossible not to feel the weight of history in the pavement beneath your feet, and to realise that in this region, so much of what matters sits quietly out of sight.
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Then came an unexpected gift: through our dear friend Tom Hardy and the Hardy wine family, we were welcomed behind the scenes at Perrier-Jouët for a private tour we won't forget.
Rather than a traditional hotel or château stay, Perrier-Jouët's worldview is anchored by two magnificent 19th-century mansions on the avenue, dedicated to art, dining, and luxury tastings. At Maison Belle Époque (28 Avenue de Champagne), the historic family home, we stepped into a space celebrated for housing Europe's largest private collection of French Art Nouveau. We visited with a private tour and tasting at the historic family home, filled with as many stories as it has years.
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Our host, Sebastian, brought it to life with stories that made the house feel human, not just historic. And then, the moment everyone comes to Champagne for: we disappeared underground into the chalky silence of the caves, corridor after corridor. Below the mile-sheet lie the Champagne houses' greatest assets, sleeping peacefully and patiently, awaiting their day to come to bottles. Back upstairs, we were treated to a rare tasting in a private bar, surrounded again by art. In that setting, the whole region clicked: this is not just wine, it's place, time, and people, bottled. |
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"This is not just wine, it's place, time, and people, bottled." |
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This section, Inside the Region: Travels, Tales, and Terroir, is where we'll bring you these romantic travel tales, little discoveries and stories we learned on the ground, and the Champagne experiences worth building a trip around. Would you come with us one day? |
