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Joie de Vivre in Champagne, France
The Epicenter of Champagne I’m at the home of young married couple Pierre and Canadian-born Daniella Fresne Ducret. Pierre is the seventh generation to govern over the family's 14-acre champagne dynasty. At age 30 and 35 respectively, Daniella and Pierre are only as old as the vintage we’re drinking. Many would argue that they’re too young to manage the huge responsibilities of owning and running a vineyard but in France, it’s the norm. The energy and dedication they bring is paramount for controling the level of sophicated operations required to make a bottle of bubbly. Pierre was born into the business and understands the fickle dynamics of the champagne industry. The little hillside town, Villedommange, only 5 miles from the historical city of Reims, is almost entirely made up of grape growers. It’s in their blood. The picturesque Premier Cru region is special not only for the chalky soil (terroir) and temperate climate but the sparkling intensity that winemakers perfect through painstaking means. The couple strives to not only meet the standards, but to exceed them. For example, champagne requires aging for 15 months before it can be sold; all 6 varities of Fresne Ducret are aged a minimum of 24 months before they hit store shelves.
Pierre gives us a tour of his wine cellar tunnels stocked with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. While the first two varieties are international grapes, Pinot Meunier is grown exclusively in the Champagne region and adds a wonderful fruity flavor to the mix. Hope Springs Eternal in Wine and Marriage Following the tour, Daniella, a master cook, serves up specialities she’s been preparing all morning. Hers is a Cinderella story of romance and good fortune. In 2002, she moved from Toronto to France to pursue her love of travel and teach English to students in Reims. That same year she met her husband Pierre in the wine cellars of Domaine Lucien Jacob. Lucien Jacob makes fabulous burgundys but is well known for his legendary cassis and framboise. Appropriately enough, the two were tasting a harmonious blend of diverse grapes when their own relationship ripened. No one, especially her, could have predicted that she’d move to France, marry in 2006, start a family in 2007 and invent a cooking class inside an old farmhouse in 2009. “Try our Gold Metal winner, the Brut Réserve. It helps bring out the flavors of the asparagus and morels in the poached quail eggs,” encourages Daniella.
Quail eggs? Now, there's an appetizer I’m rarely offered. I do as I’m told and it melts in my mouth. I hold back from lunging for more. Daniella has more creativeness up her sleeve. Along with the crispy cod croquettes with lemon ginger mayonnaise, she spoils us with a tray of Frico cannoli with garlic and herb goat cheese mousse and duck rillete toasts with roasted beets. The aroma of the unique herbs and the texture of the whipped cremes - it all culminates into the reason why so many enroll in Daniella’s 5-hour cooking class. Cuvées with Distinction Last year, Pierre decided to invest in new machinery and sparkling new stainless steel vats. Newer technologies help the champagne process dejuice, ferment and age. But, unlike most, he’s still committed to shaking the bottles (remouage) and removing the dead yeast cells (dégorgement ) by hand. Pierre is a great sport and does what few vintners would do when prompted – he crawls through the opening of one of the empty vats to explain the importance of cleaning the walls. No wonder the average age of a vintner is 35. You have to be thin and agile to pull off this feat. It’s springtime and the independent 25 fields of Fresne Ducret are in full blossom. The field yeld up to 65,000 bottles per year resulting in about 4000 bottles per acre. That sounds like a lot of drink but, in fact, there are others in town that are five times bigger.
“Being small allows me to take part into every step of the champagne making process, from pruning to disgorging, and even though it can be tiring at times, it’s always a fabulous moment to open a bottle of a new cuvee that I made. If we were bigger, I'd spend a lot less time in the fields and the winery and a lot more in the office” says Pierre. I like that answer. It’s staying competitive with quality food, drink and friendships that provides nourishment for the soul. Visit the Fresne Ducret family and experience the joie de vivre. In order to allow the family to best prepare for your tour, please call or email them first. For tastings, food and wine pairing seminars, or other special events please make arrangements in advance. Fresne Ducret Champagne
Other Sites to Visit Verzenay Lighthouse and the Museum of Vine Climb over 75 feet to the top of a lighthouse with spectacular 360-degree views of the Champagne Region including the Mountain of Reims. The world’s only Champagne bar in the trees, all lighting provided by solar panels. The seats are hung from the rafters and you walk on catwalks to enter. Very cool.
An Art Deco restaurant, the Café du Palais is situated under a large glass skylight. It is also listed as a “Historic and Patrimonial Café of Europe.” Assiette Champenoise A gastronomical restaurant situated a few minutes outside of Reims, the Assiette Champenoise boasts a luxurious and refined atmosphere, which is surrounded by a park. Le Grand Café
Brasserie FLO Overnight Accommodations Best Western – Hotel de la Paix Recently renovated and expanded, the Best Western Hotel de la Paix is ideally situated in the heart of Reims. www.franceguide.com, France Tourism Development Agency, ATOUT FRANCE
Sony Stark is a regular contributor to GoNOMAD and the owner of PilotGirl Productions, a traveling freelance video production company that specializes in shooting ENG, Broadcast and Documentaries all over the world. Visit her GoNOMAD page and see all of her travel articles.
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