The one “problem” with having a home in the Southern Alps is that, once I’m here, I don’t much want to venture far afield. This spring, however, presented us with a dilemma, and, in the end, an opportunity. We always lease a new Peugeot through a wonderful outfit called Auto France, but there were no cars available for pickup before April 15 and we already had our tickets for an April 11 departure. At first, Paris was going to be our stopover, but the ongoing chaos there over President Macron’s determined efforts to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 — I know, zoot alors! — made that detour unappealing.
It didn’t take long to choose an alternative. Champagne, less than two hours to the northeast. Bien sur!
My only previous visits to bubbles country had been during my Tour de France slogs, which left little time for tasting, never mind actually exploring. I considered this a huge hole in my resume. But, although I was way past due for making a real pilgrimage, I didn’t want to visit any of the big champagne houses. I know their wines. I respect their wines. But there was no reason to taste them in France when I can easily taste them in Houston. I also wanted to avoid Reims and it’s big-city traffic snarls, so we instead randomly chose three relatively-off-the-beaten-path family-owned producers:
- Sabine Godmé in Verzenay just across the road from the landmark Phare lighthouse (pictured above)
- Guy Charbaut in Mareuil-sur-Ay, a stone’s throw from the Billecart-Salmon headquarters
- Marion-Bosser in Hautvillers, only a short walk from the abbey where the 17th-century monk Dom Perignon made his name as the spiritual father of Champagne, and also where he’s buried.
All were excellent in their own ways. Unfortunately, availability for each in Houston seems to be an issue. You’ll see a Hugh Godmé champagne on Shawn Virene’s extensive list at a’Bouzy, but Hugh is Sabine’s brother. Some years ago they divided the 11-hectare grand cru Godmé property on the Montagne de Reims and agreed to disagree, going their separate ways.
A striking common thread among the three multi-generational houses is that each has a new-generation winemaker taking over, determined to reinvent their respective wheels. At Sabine Godmé, son Matthieu is doing is doing his own thing — and replacing his mom’s name with his on the label. His dad, Jean Marie Guillaume (pictured below), said with a chuckle, admitting that, to truly pass the torch, “You have to kill the father.” Or mother, in this case. In three years, the business will be Matthieu’s alone to run. Sabine and Jean Marie are contemplating resettling in Brittany.
At Marion-Bosser, Elodie Marion becomes the fourth woman in her family to call the shots, while Hélène Charbaut has launched her own distinct lineup of wines at Charbaut. Interestingly, the three young vignerons have all put aging in neutral wood barrels front and center in their respective wine-making strategies, something that was once largely unheard-of in their neck of the woods.
What I’d forgotten about the region’s terroir is how stunningly beautiful it is, from the vineyard-covered slopes of the Montagne de Reims south to the visually similar and no less striking chardonnay country in the Côtes de Blancs with bustling yet still charming Épernay in the middle, hard by the Marne River. There, of course, you’ll find the châteaux-lined Avenue de Champagne, a street dating from the 18th century that’s so remarkable it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015. Underneath the pavement? Some 60 miles of champagne-filled caves dug through the limestone that defines the flavors of these wines.
Having barely scratched the surface, we will surely return soon . . . But probably not in mid-April. The weather was, in a word, miserable, equal parts cold and wet. No matter. Those wonderfully therapeutic tiny bubbles proved the perfect antidote.
Black Wine: 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at Agora Haus. Free. http://eventbrite.com
Central Coast and Paso Robles wine dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at Atkins House. $85 http://eventbrite.com
Derby Wine Fest: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Brenner’s on the Bayou. $150. http://eventbrite.com
Mother’s Day Charcuterie Workshop & Wine Tasting: JMP Wines Tasting Room, Humble. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Wagyu and Wine Night: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at R-C Ranch. $125. http://eventbrite.com
Tolaini Tuscan Wine Dinner with Lia Tolaini-Banville: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at the Rainbow Lodge. $165 plus tax and gratuity. https://www.rainbow-lodge.com/tolaini-wine-dinner
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