Moet

I love champagne. Especially this extra large bottle of Moet. I think it wanted to come home with me, but I'm not sure how I would get it on the train back to Paris.

Geoffroy

We had the honor of visiting a small, local champagne producer, Rene Geoffroy. Only producing about 100,000 bottles per year, this small chateau made some very unique champagnes. Jean-Babtist is a fifth-generation owner and gave us our tour. We were fortunate enough to be there during degorgement - the process of freezing the yeast deposits in the neck of the bottle, removing them, adding additional wine and/or sugar, and corking the bottles. I've never seen this process before, so I was completely fascinated. I bought a half case and can't wait for the first opportunity to drink it!

Old Stuff

The first champagne house we toured was Pommery. While it was interesting to see their vast network of old chalk cellars, the tour was rather commercialized and the champagne only average. These bottles are about two years old and will continue to sit for another three. Does anyone have a dust mop around here??

Older Stuff

This is a collection of the oldest vintages at Pommery. Check out the bottle from the company's first harvest in 1874. Although champagne isn't a keeping wine, if the yeast deposits are still present, you can keep the champagne virtually forever. Once the deposits are removed right before they're sold, it's best to drink the bubbly stuff within 5 years.

Dinner

Each night, my mom and I ate in the one star Michelin restaurant in our hotel. The young, ambitious chef served up some fabulous meals like these seared sea scallops. Of course we had to accompany each meal with a glass or two of the bubbly stuff.

Cheese Plate

After each meal, we ordered the cheese plate. The waiter would roll over a rather well-stocked cheese cart to the table, and we picked four or five different cheeses each night. The ones from the region were the best.

Breakfast

Since we enjoyed our room so much, we would order breakfast in the room. A wonderful selection of teas, juices, yogurt, meats, breads, jams, and cereals showed up each morning. Most of the time we had so much food, we often ate it for lunch as well.

Resting

Our room had a little inclosed Japanese courtyard facing the bed. I spent a lot of time contemplating life in bed, glancing at the garden over my toes.

Countryside

This is the view from our deck. The hotel is conveniently perched on a slope overlooking the vineyards and towns. Quite a picturesque view when it wasn't foggy - which happened a lot!

Afternoon Walk

After spending all Sunday in our fabulous room, my mom and I took a walk through the surrounding vineyards. Harvest had come and gone a month earlier, so the grape leaves were just turning fall colors.

On The Vine

2006 wasn't a great harvest, so many grapes were left on the vine. This provided a tasty treat for the local birds and of course the tourists like us!

Royal Champagne

Based on a friend's recommendation, we stayed at The Royal Champagne, just 10 minutes from Epernay. A part of the Relais and Chateau group, this hotel was absolutely amazing. From the welcoming staff to the perfectly appointed rooms, everything was lovely. I've never stayed in a hotel that has made me feel so welcome or so comfortable. If you're ever planning to stay in champagne, I highly recommend this location. You'll feel like royalty.

Home Sweet Home

We were completely spoiled with our room. Because I had to change the reservations at the last minute, the hotel upgraded us to a suite for the same price of a regular room. Upon check in since I paid with a Mastercard, they delivered a cold bottle of champagne to our door along with some fancy nibbles. Our asian-inspired room was the perfect relaxing location. The walls were painted a bright lacquer red on one side and covered in red silk on the other. Our bathroom had two freestanding sinks, a huge bathtub with a view of the countryside and a large walk in shower. We even had a separate sitting room with a TV and a view of the inclosed garden. Each night while we were at dinner, the staff would come in our room, turn down the bed, place bottles of water on the night stand, and put fuzzy slippers by the bed. We were quite reluctant to leave in the end.

Bubbly

Each night we sat out on our deck overlooking the sometimes foggy countryside and sipped our bottle of champagne.

Relaxing

Mom sits on the deck all bundled up as she enjoys an aperitif before dinner.

Lighting A Candle

In the grand cathedral in Reims, I lit a candle for my grandparents. They made this whole adventure possible, and I hope they would be proud of what I accomplished.

Cathedral

Famous for its role in the coronation of several French kings, the cathedral in Reims is awe-inspiring.