One of the best pours of Champagne I’ve ever had is dwindling perilously close to empty at the end of an exploratory tour and tasting through the Billecart-Salmon range. Conducted in a private room within the family-owned brand’s immaculate estate, the six-Champagne tour de force taste test was highlighted by the 2007 Cuvée Nicolas François, a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay that displayed an incredible mix of forceful depth and bright acidity.
Billecart-Salmon, now run by its seventh generation after being founded in 1818, is considered one of the cool kids in Champagne, an #IYKYK brand that straddles the line between boutique operation and major player. “It’s one of the last family-owned and managed Champagne houses,” says Jérôme Lafouge, Billecart-Salmon’s hospitality manager.
The tasting included their Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru and 2012 Blanc de Blancs Louis Salmon; Le Réserve, considered their core bottling; Brut Rosé; and what proved to be another surprising favorite, the 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elizabeth Salmon. Billecart-Salmon’s rendition is the anti-rosé rosé, peachy pink in the glass, dry and fresh and characterful, and the 2012 is like if that bright non-vintage teenager kept on maturing and got herself a PhD.
Along the way, we’ve learned about how Billecart-Salmon emphasizes fine bubbles to showcase the best of the wine itself instead of merely a punch of effervescence, and has used slow, cold fermentation since the 1950s. “This is what makes Billecart special,” Lafouge says. “The style of wine we are looking for is about precision and cleanness.”
It would be easy to continue espousing about the experience, but suffice it to say that it was a dream day in Champagne, and for those who’ve never been to the region, it’s almost shocking how simple it is to make such a trip happen — though the warm, shining sun we lucked into on this particular late winter afternoon is, I’m afraid, not part of the guarantee. Champagne is a perfect weekender from Paris, close enough that it could even be a seamless day trip, too. Read on to get the bubbly flowing for yourself — just don’t you dare pour it into a flute.
Start Your Trip in Style
You can absolutely roll right off your overnight flight into Paris, jump in a car or onto the train and dive head first into a morning tasting and tour in Champagne. I’ve done it before. But I hope I don’t do it again.
No, Champagne is one of life’s finer things, and you want to take your time to luxuriate in its warm, welcoming embrace. Begin your trip then by first heading into the city for a few nights to get your sea legs under you.
Check into the Hôtel Balzac, just off the Champs-Élysées, which is fresh off the completion of a renovation last summer. The property was overhauled and its room count was slashed down to 58 along the way, delivering larger, more comfortable spaces. A range of accommodation types are available, including rooms with Eiffel Tower views, rooftop terraces and split-level suites with stone terraces set amid the property’s inner courtyard.
The property shares a front entrance with Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire, a long-tenured three Michelin star institution, though it’s not formally part of the hotel despite the side-by-side presence. What is very much a part of the hotel though is its Ikoi Spa. The Oriental-styled spa offers a sultry subterranean retreat with a sauna, plunge pool and Japanese-inspired massage treatments. Consider your jet lag solved.
The Relais & Châteaux property offers the feel of a local-centric, Parisian escape exemplified by its all-day lounge and bar. It’s an elegant gathering area and hangout space where you can recharge with a few snacks — and dare we say, a glass of Champagne or three — or get the night rolling with caviar service and cocktails. It feels like the luxe living room of a distant relative’s private estate, with you and your friends having access to the place for the weekend, a charming antidote to the crushing crowds found at Paris’s large grand dames. Not to mention, a touch of contemporary style in place of old world stuffiness will go a long way towards enhancing your stay in the city.
Further warm yourself up for your Champagne jaunt by making a few rigorous stops around Paris in preparation. Book a table or head to the bar at Legrand Filles et Fils, a wine shop set within the Neo-classical Galerie Vivienne since the 1880s that’s now also home to a lively bistro with a world-class wine list. Then perhaps head to the Rosewood Hôtel de Crillon’s Bar Les Ambassadeurs for a nightcap. Its current cocktail lineup calls out drinks by a signal ingredient, such as perhaps olive or grapefruit, representing each drink with a colorful illustration that depicts its creative house riff on a classic.
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The direct train from the Paris Est station, Gare de l’Est, is 46 minutes to Reims. That’s it, that’s the how-to. You’re now in Champagne. Let the games commence. There are also alternative routes that get you into Epernay, as well as trains to or from Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Spending Time in Champagne
You’ll of course be heading out on a winery tour or seven while you’re in Champagne, but word to the wise, don’t overbook yourself. “What I would say is don’t try to put tastings after tastings after tastings, three a day is the most you should do,” Lafouge says. Even three sounds ambitious. Consider being kinder to your palate, your liver and your wallet. “Two a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, is even better.”
Visits to many of the major houses can be arranged in advance with online bookings. In other cases, you’ll need to work the phones, or perhaps even depend upon your hotel concierge or another local connection.
Either way, you should aim to diversify your perspective on the region. You may be drawn to the big names and fancy labels you know from home, but mixing up your visits will boost your knowledge of Champagne — the wine, yes, but also the people and the place. “When you come to Champagne you need to visit a large producer, a medium one and a small vintner to understand the difference,” Lafouge says.
Also keep in mind you’ll be able to buoy your tasting schedule further during meals, and perhaps even back at your hotel. That’s certainly the case if you’re posting up at the Royal Champagne Hotel, home to the Michelin-starred Le Royal restaurant from chef Christophe Raoux, along with an extensive wine and Champagne list, and a range of curated tastings and experiences put together by head sommelier Philippe Marques.
As stunning as the vineyard views are from Royal Champagne, you may prefer staying in more of a central locale in order to walk around and explore, and have access to an abundance of restaurants and bars. “When you stay in Champagne for a few days, I think staying in Reims is the best idea,” Lafouge says.
In this case, book your stay at La Caserne Chanzy. The Autograph Collection hotel has a prime spot in the city, and your room may feature a terrace with a sensational view of the Reims Cathedral, or Notre-Dame de Reims, which served as the traditional site for the coronation of French kings.
The hotel has an expansive spa including a hydrotherapy pool, sauna and hammam area. Then there’s the highly touted La Grande Georgette restaurant from chef Julien Raphanel off the lobby, and its offshoot, Little Georgette, next door.
Reims has fine-dining aplenty, but some of your best meals and moments may be found in more casual settings. Consider the restaurants and wine bars flanking the Halles Centrales du Boulingrin food market, such as Le Clos wine bar and Le Marche bistro. Le Coq Rouge is an excellent choice for an evening of charcuterie, tapas and bubbles, with a great playlist to match. Despite the laid-back vibes, be sure to make a reservation for the popular spot. Then consider Le Wine Bar; you’ll never guess what you’ll find at such an establishment. “One of the best sparkling wine lists in the world,” Lafouge says.
Epernay is Champagne’s other hub, and it’s where you’ll find the famed Avenue de Champagne. The glitzy corridor is home to a who’s who of major Champagne brands and their estates, with the dining and shopping to match. Just outside of the city center in Epernay you’ll find the Pressoria, an interactive museum where education is presented in our favored format (read: with booze).
Fit in an Extra Extension
Getting around the region is easier than you thought, isn’t it? If your thirst for touring hasn’t been satiated — even if your thirst for Champagne has — then tack on another quick journey outside of Paris. This time, head just beyond the city confines to Versailles for a night of opulence at the Waldorf Astoria Versailles Trianon Palace.
The hotel dates to 1907, and over the past century plus has played a heavy-handed role in history. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I were dictated in the grand room where you may eat your breakfast. Don’t blame the eggs.
Meanwhile, the Palace of Versailles itself is basically your neighbor during a stay at the Waldorf Astoria. The hotel is adjacent to the palace’s park, and your room may have a charming Juliette balcony looking down upon it. When it’s your ticketed time to tour around the palace grounds, the entrance is a 10-minute stroll away.
The hotel is home to the Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsay au Trianon, and the more casual La Véranda restaurant. Yes, plenty of Champagne will be served if you opt for it. But the best end to your trip may be found at the Guerlain Spa. Schedule a treatment and then retreat to the indoor pool, housed underneath a glass ceiling, to continue the indulgence for a few hours more.
It’s been, what, maybe four or six nights? You’ve been to Paris. You’ve drunk all the Champagne. You’ve found your joie de vivre and you capped it all off with a fittingly palatial stay without ever breaking a sweat. That’s what we call a successful overseas outing.
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