When in France...

Some good friends who are planning their honeymoon just asked for some tips on France.  I figured I might as well pop it up on the newly formed blog!:

For a short driving holiday in France, there's nothing better than taking in two of the best regions for both wine and cheese..... Champagne and Burgundy.  Take the car ferry from Dover to Calais and first take in some sights and imbibe some local potions from Champagne.

While I can't highly recommend the hotel where we stayed for its romantic atmosphere or memorable views, I can recommend it for its location right next to a champagne house, its ode to frugality, and its Spartan decor.
This Hotel Porte Mars was in a walkable location to the centre of Reims and offered parking close-by so we could keep an eye on all the wine stored in the boot!  We didn't have the chance to stay in Epernay (everything was fully booked when we were headed there) but I have heard that it's quite a nice place to stay - and walking distance to some of the big champagne houses.... we made a trip there to Moet et Chandon... it was nice to see the caves underneath Epernay and any of the big champagne houses would give you this chance.

Here's two champagne makers we really liked:
Henry Bourdelat - not to be confused with the other Bourdelat just across the road from this one.  This is a small family-owned business, as most of them are... We knocked on the door and it a took a while for anyone to come as Henry and his mother and father were in the middle of labelling  bottles downstairs in the basement.  Henry junior walked us all around explaining how they make champagne - thankfully my partner speaks French but I think Henry can speak a little bit of English (enough to give you a tasting!).... he ages his champagne for far longer than the legal minimum most big champagne houses use....  his champagne's delicious and we left with many cases.
Here is their website which might help find them.
They were sweet enough to pose for a photo:

Also Waris Larmandier - not only do they have excellent champagne (including a nice blanc de blancs - made from 100% Chardonnay grapes) - but their bottles are hand painted and each one is like a piece of art!  Sadly the husband of this family business passed away about a year ago - he was the mastermind behind the champagne-making and now his brother (also very knowledgeable) has been pitching in to continue to business... The wife is an artist and this is why there are such beautiful bottles.  Here is their site


While in Champagne, you're really close to the home of Epoisses cheese - a glorious wash-rind cheese.... buy some, leave it at room temperature for 2 hours, cut the lid of it off and dip in with bread, veg or fingers - delicious, fondue-like cheese. The St Marcelin was also a standout.  Both are terrific for picnics.

Cheese Glorious Cheese!!!
                                                  

Making sure to buy our cheeses, meats and breads before the shops closed, we had quite a few picnics - it was easy enough to find a hilltop and a view.  We also hired bikes one day in Cluny and had a great time biking along a flat green path.

 (We cycled from Cluny to Cormatin - our curiosity somehow took us on some wrong turns and we ended up cycling through a big industrial bakery!... looking at the map every now and again probably would be helpful)

Next head down to Burgundy... Beaune is a lovely town to stay in.. if you decide to stay overnight - definitely dine at Cheval Noir - my review here.

The vineyards in Burgundy are plentiful as are the various regions - it can be pretty intimidating due to how many little regions there are.  A book that really helped us to know which regions sounded good for our tastes was: French Wines by Robert Joseph (Eyewitness Companions). We also used it when we came back with all our wine - as it tells you how many years wine from various regions should be put down before you drink it.... some regions are drinkable quite young but some really need 3-10 years before they are at their best. We enjoyed wines from Cote de Nuits Villages, Nuits St Georges, Macon, Meursault for whites, Morgon for reds, Pommard, Saint Amour, Volnay, Vosne Romanee... and the whites on the Aloxe Corton are quite good - though we could only afford a few of those! - These were the regions that worked for our taste, but again - the book explains what each small region offers and then you can choose which places are best for you.

As you continue further South, you likely will pass through an unassuming big town called Tournus.  One of the best meals we had in France was at an off-the-beaten-track resto across the river there.
First explore the town, but then definitely drive across the river and enjoy an incredible lunch here.

But for le grand finale of your trip, I'd recommend staying in St Amour at the Auberge du Paradis - a bit of a splurge but worth it!

It's just lovely and you must book one night, if not two, at their restaurant which is memorably delicious.



Bon appetit et Bon Voyage!