Champange, anyone?

If you know me, you'll know I have a weakness for champagne. OK, maybe its more than that. More a when-I-tell-my-husband-I-love-him-and-he-says-"What, more than Champagne"-ness. Surfice to say, I had come on my pilgrimage and I had made it - to Epernay, the capital of champagne. We stayed in a to-die little bed and breakfast on, naturally, Rue de Champagne. Next door was Esterlin, across the road, Perrier Jouet, next to that, Pol Roger and down on the corner, Moet & Chandon. So we were in the thick of it. We were welcomed to our little haven by the Rimaires,a French couple who run the b&b with a bottle of their home-brand champagne (made carefully by their neighbours, the Moets & Chandons of course). Called Parva Domus, you simply must stay there if you ever have the pleasure of visiting the region (www.parvadomusrimaire.com), it's heaven, and even though they speak no word of English and my french is rusty, and that's being tres kind, it was just gorge. Our 2 days there passed in a whirlwind of champagne tastings, cellar tours, gourmet dinners, more champagne tastings, and needless to say, that's about all we remember. We went from tiny cellar doors in the country, where we got some great bargains, to the grandeur of Moet & Chandon. We even managed to learn things, like what Cru means (the villages that grow champagne grapes), what mix goes into Moet's famous Brut Imperiale (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes), even how they get those bulbous corks into those small bottle necks (air pressue machine, very impressive machine). We were so sad to leave and both agreed we'd love to come back to this charming town where French bubbles flow freely and it ok, hell, expected, that you've had at least a couple of glasses before midday. Now that's my kinda place. Cheers, a votre sante!

Parva Domus
When Michael met Dom...
In the cellar with the good stuff
Another tasting