Alternative Champagne

We were in the Aube region of Champagne, a simple 250 mile drive along the A26 from Calais. We knew that a further 30 minutes to the north would lead us to the famous champagne houses, but we were in search of something a little different.

We started our trip at Troyes – Champagne’s capital - a fabulously romantic city full of half-timbered houses and narrow cobbled streets reminiscent of medieval times. It has history - it was here that Henry V came, during the Hundred Years War, to agree his succession to the French throne (a scheme scuppered by Joan of Arc) - interesting Gothic churches, museums ranging from modern art to culture and the piece de resistance for some – shopping.

Serendipity must have had a hand in shaping Troyes into a Champagne cork and its history as a former big player in the textile industry must have had some influence in making Troyes into the factory shopping capital of the region. There are two main complexes McArthur Glen 'Boutiques de Fabricants' in the Pont Sainte Marie industrial-zone - a modern sprawl of all the big designer shops and nearby is Marques Avenue at St Julien Les Villas, which has 11 separate buildings with 24 shops.

For us though, shopping would have to wait. We had an appointment with Monsieur Baudesson at Au Vieux Logis near Troyes, who was simultaneously a restaurateur, a chef, one time winner of Frances’ Best Worker title and a self-confessed disciple of Auguste Escoffier famous for inventing the Peach Melba. We were here to learn how to cook. It was shocking to see how much butter and cream were used in a basil and tomato sauce for the red mullet and it was almost impossible to turn our button mushrooms into the rose he had created from his and to decorate the creamy mash potato in quite the same way. When we sat to dine with the chef and his wife and were pleased that Monsieur Baudesson had intercepted our efforts as often as he had and made the apple and walnut tart earlier.

We barely had time to finish our tart when we realised it was time to meet Michelle Drappier. Michel was simply tantalising. As we followed him to the promised tasting room we were treated to a tour of the vineyard, learned how Champagne was made and all about the fine art of riddling (turning the bottles a little every day urging the sediment to neck of the bottle to be flash-frozen and removed) and shown how to label stacks of plain bottles and box them. It all took about an hour and a half but the crisp and deliciously fruity Champagne was worth the wait.

So how many bubbles are there in a bottle of Champagne? Michel smiled and said "only 50,00000".

Champagne Drappier
grande Rue -10200 Urville
Tel: +33 (0)3 25 274015
www.champagne-drappier.com

Troyes Tourist Office
16 boulevard Carnot
1000 Troyes
Tel: +33 (0)3 25 826270
www.ot-troyes.fr

CDT de l’Aube en Champagne
34 quai Dampierre, 10000 Troyes
www.aube-champagne.com

5 July 2005