This past Friday, a friend and I finally visited Vranken-Pommery, a famous Champagne house located approximately a block from my residence. There is a plethora of Champagne houses in Reims, which is just one of the perks of living and studying in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France.
The visit included a thirty-minute tour and champagne tasting afterwards. The tour was extremely fascinating. The tour guide was really friendly and knowledgeable. We received the opportunity to tour cellars that housed millions of bottles of champagne, in all different sizes. In addition, we were also taught the champagne making process. My favorite aspect of the tour was the art installations featured in the cellars. According to the tour guide, the owner, Madame Pommery, insisted that art be featured in the cellars because champagne is a time for fun and celebration. I was also pleasantly surprised that a woman ran the original champagne house. Madame Pommery took over when she became a widow, after her husband’s death. She was described as a strong, yet generous woman of her time. She was one of the first business owners to provide health care benefits to her employees in France, according to the tour guide.
After the tour, there was a tasting. One of the champagnes we were able to taste is currently in the middle of celebrating it’s 100th birthday. It tasted deliciously bubbly. It was truly fascinating to learn about the process of champagne making from fermentation to transportation.
Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the champagne house looks like a castle.
