Champagne Champs

Hand Hewn Limestone Caves
Taittinger House, Reims, France

Before we moved to Europe I was unaware that wine and cheese usually earned their names from the region in which they were produced. Now I know better, and I try to incorporate these localities into our trips. In Reims, there was champagne, so named for the region in which the grapes are grown. There are several champagne houses in the area, and they use underground caves for storing their bottles.

We visited Taittinger house on the outskirts of the city; there was free parking available on site. We walked into the tours office and were able to join a tour that started in 10 minutes time. To be clear, the champagne is not pressed and bottled here; it is aged. The Taittinger champagnes are aged for at 3 years in the underground caves.  The Romans used the site as a quarry, and dug these caves into the limestone in the 4th century. After the Romans, the site was occupied by an order of Benedictine monks who built an abbey over the caves, which they used for storage and rituals. The abbey was destroyed during the French Revolution, but the caves remained beneath the surface. In the 1920s, a champagne house was founded on the premises and in the 1930s, the Taittinger family bought the site.

One of the Vaults filled with Bottles
Taittinger House, Reims, France

The caves are ideal for champagne storage because of their constant temperatures and humidity levels. The average temperature is in the 50s, and we spent at least 30 minutes underground; if you go, bring a coat. There were millions of bottles in the caves, each in various stages of the ageing process. The bottles are stacked in every cubby and vault the Romans or the monks, or the Taittinger employees excavated. They are just laid on top of one another—no shelves. Until we visited these caves, it seemed impossible that all the champagne in the world could come from this small region, but it does; Taittinger is just 1 of many houses in the region.

Champagne at the end of the Tour
Taittinger House, Reims, France

The tour ended with a glass of champagne back at ground level. After so long underground, the bubbly helped take the chill off. The kind we tried was the “base model” Brut, but there were many more “upgraded” vintages available in the gift shop. We bought some bottles of these other varieties, so hopefully they’re as good as the Brut we sampled.


Useful Links!
Pictures from Our Trip!
Information about Taittinger
Taittinger Homepage (Learn about Tours, the Vintages, and the History)
10 Fun Facts about Taittinger
Taittinger Champagnes

Mont St Michel

Mont St Michel, France

When Joe finished his work in Belgium, we set off for a mini French vacation; our first stop was Mont St. Michel. I first read about this abbey when I was a little girl, in some book I don’t even remember. I was fascinated by the tides and by this church rising seamlessly from the rock to tower over its surroundings. Mont St. Michel is located at the mouth of the Couesnon River in the English Channel and has some of the most dramatic tides in the world. When the tide is out, the island becomes part of the mainland; just a church on a rocky hill. When the tide is in, the city is surrounded by water and becomes a walled island once more. The tides come in with such speed (17 feet per second) and ferocity that it is dangerous to be outside the walls. 

The mud flats around Mont St Michel
This photo was take at about 4pm

This picture was taken exactly 3 hours later, and the
area is almost completely underwater.
Mont St Michel, France

The tide was out when we arrived, so we took the opportunity to wander around the mud flats surrounding the abbey. There is something amazing about walking on mud barefoot; it just feels so good squished between your toes. Joe was hesitant to join me at first, but eventually he gave in, kicked off his shoes and socks, and strode out onto more uneven ground. Quicksand is prevalent, so our steps were careful—until we found some. It was a small patch of quicksand, and it felt very weird to walk on, but since we weren’t sucked in, we stopped worrying about it. When our feet reached the desired level of muddiness, we decided to rinse them off, and go find a place for dinner.

We returned to the “island” by walking along the shallows of the adjacent Couesnon River. During our stroll, one of the local residents scuttled up to examine me. I think the little crab wasn’t paying attention and just crashed into my toe, but when I looked down and saw him there, I screamed and ran off. I probably scared him more than he scared me, but I’m not looking to get my toes pinched.

A soloist inside Mont St. Michel abbey church

After dinner we strolled along the walls of the abbey and looked at places where we had been mere hours before—now they were all underwater. At the time, the abbey was open at night, so we were at the top of the Mont during sunset. These stunning visuals were accompanied by soloists playing period pieces. It was very moving; the acoustics inside gothic churches make is seem like music is coming from within you. 

Useful Links!

Pictures from Our Trip!

Mont St Michel Visitor Information

Tide Times 

The Best Beer in the World

In August, Joe needed to go to Belgium for work, and before we left, we decided to check out some local breweries. A quick Google search revealed there was a brewery, Westvleteren, about an hour away selling the best beer in the world*; obviously we had to go.

The Saint Sixtus Monastery, home of Westvleteren Brewery
Vleteren, Belgium

Further research only piqued my interest more; the brewery is part of a functioning monastery. The monks brew the beer in small quantities, selling what they don’t consume to the flocked masses. Westvleteren is one of 6 trappist brewers in Belgium, and it hasn’t given in to the lure of capitalism.  Trappist denotes an order of monks that pride themselves on self-sufficiency. The monks brew beer for themselves and the community—excess is sold. They have not increased production since 1946; the monks "brew to be able to afford being monks". Chimay is sold in US supermarkets; Westmalle and St. Bernardus are available at US specialty stores; Westvleteren is only available at the monastery.

To taste the “best beer in the world”, you must make the trek to Vleteren, Belgium. Here, in the café/visitors center, you can order Westvleteren 12 by the glass. If you are interested in buying the beer by the bottle, there is a slightly more procedure to follow.

The road leading to Saint Sixtus Abbey
Vleteren, Belgium

The monks know their product is good, and they know people all over the world are clamoring for it. To deter people from buying it in mass quantities and reselling it, they’ve implemented a system that limits how much beer can be purchased at once, and how often it may be purchased. Beer may only be reserved once every 60 days, and you may only reserve 2 racks of 24 beers each. To reserve your rack, you must call the beer line at least 1 week in advance; don’t worry, they speak English. You’ll provide your license plate and choose a pick-up time, assuming of course they haven’t already sold out for that week. Keep in mind they are a religious organization, therefore they will be closed on Sundays and religious holidays, as well as any federal holidays in Belgium.  

If the reserved racks have all been claimed, or if you discovered the brewery a mere 48 hours before your intended visit like I did, there are other options available. Each day in the café, 6 packs are available for purchase. Of course, this is a long shot, and it requires driving out to the middle-of-nowhere Belgium without any assurances of availability. We went anyway.

In De Verde-the cafe/visitor's center of Westvleteren Brewery
Vleteren, Beligum

We arrived in the afternoon and joined the beer queue. This line was the closest we’ve come to experiencing a “Black Friday” phenomenon in Europe; it was still polite and orderly, despite the rare quantities for sale. It was a very tense line; all of us wondering if we would be among those lucky enough to obtain the elusive brew. Alas! It was not to be; they were sold out. But wait! A ray of hope! Westvleteren makes three beers: Blonde, 8, and 12. Blonde and 8 were still available; we purchased a 6 pack of each.

After buying our sixers and moving away from the throng still waiting their turn, we wandered outside. There are tables inside the café, but on such a beautiful day, the place to be was in the beer garden. We sat at one of the many picnic tables adorned with umbrellas and ordered a glass of 12 and of Blonde. We enjoyed our beers and gazed out at the farmland around us. This place really is in the middle of nowhere—only 1 lane roads provide access. As expected from a monastery, it’s very tranquil.

From left to right; the blonde, the 8 and the 12.
Vleteren, Belgium

Even if there are no racks or sixers to be had, you can still enjoy the 12 and its brothers by the glassful. Here’s some food (or drink) for thought as well; just because Blonde and 8 aren’t the best beer in the world, it doesn’t mean they aren’t good. They’re very, very tasty. The monks at Westvleteren are skilled brewmasters, and it’s worth the trip out there, even if all you take away is the memory of sitting in the sunshine sipping delicious beer.

*As chosen by beer advocate

Useful Links!

The Brewery at Saint Sixtus Monastery 

Current Beer Reservation Calendar

Wall Street Journal Article about the monks trying to remain cloistered

Why the monks brew in such small quantities

In De Verde, the cafe/visitor center adjacent to the monastery