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The Champagne Tourist Route meanders through hills and valleys, through the vine-clad hillsides of this fantastic 'horn of plenty' known as the Côte des Bars, nestling in the south of the department between Bar-sur-Seine and Bar-sur-Aube. No need for detailed road maps or a compass here, as the route is signposted for 220km taking you through a host of small, picturesque wine-producing villages. To stroll through the vineyards drinking in the superb vistas and to marvel at these villages hewn out of the rock are essential steps in the process of understanding the history of Champagne and in appreciating its unique character. During your travels you must visit the wine-producers. They will tell you how champagne is produced and you will learn about the delicate art of blending wines from different grape varieties and different vintages. Each wine-producer will let you taste his wine and will explain how it is blended in strict accordance with the rules that govern the champagne appellation. The Aube can be summed up best as a varied region, full of contrasts -- a department with something for everyone. A Brief History The Romans -- La Champagne is a region of timeless natural beauty. The name derives from the Latin ‘campus’, ‘campania’ or field. In Old French this became ‘Champaign’; today, Champagne. Pliny documented viticulture in the Marne as early as 79 A.D., but fossil evidence exists showing that wild vines flourished naturally in the area round Epernay over a million years ago. As well as developing the vineyards and the art of winemaking, the Romans also quarried the chalky hillsides up to three hundred feet deep, in search of chalk blocks for building. These chalk pits are called crayeres and have since become cellars for millions of bottles of Champagne. In 92 A.D. the Emperor Domitian decreed that most of the vineyards of France should be uprooted to eliminate competition with the wines of the Italian peninsula. The vines of Champagne were no exception. For two centuries the vineyards were cultivated secretly, until the Emperor Probus rescinded the decree and ordered the vineyards to be replanted. From the very outset, the wines of Champagne were prized above all the vineyards of Europe. The Monasteries -- As Christianity and the influence of the church spread, considerable vineyards were bequeathed to the monastic orders. In the eleventh century, when Crusaders who had entrusted their property to the church did not return, these monastic holdings were increased significantly. Many of the most coveted vineyards of Champagne, whose wines were the only ones considered worthy of offering to God or King, were virtually nationalized in clerical hands. For centuries they were the wines used for the sacrament, for coronations, for the royal table and for the consecration of treaties. Champagne and Burgundy -- Until the latter half of the seventeenth century, the still wines of Champagne were rivalled only by those of Burgundy, the other proponent of the Pinot Noir grape. The Champenois had begun to encroach on the export markets of the Low Countries, an area in which Burgundy had been formerly unchallenged. Perceiving opportunities to widen both their domestic and export markets, they spared no expense improving the quality of their wines. Throughout the 1600’s, a paper-and-ink war, in Latin prose and verse, ensued between Champagne and Burgundy. The battles, whose champions were doctors and poets, centred on the respective taste and natural wholesomeness of the wines. Rather than imitating the wines of Burgundy, the Champenois sought to create a new style of wines. Voltaire remarked that these new wines, made with the most painstaking care, were not only unusual but also delicious. This novelty value helped them enjoy a great advantage not only in the wealthy, fashionable circles of Paris but in the export market as well. Reference is made from the middle of the century onwards to Champagne wines of various colours; ‘oeil de perdrix’ (partridge eye); ‘couleur de miel’ (honey-coloured); ‘cerise’ (cherry pink); ‘fauve’ (tawny); or ‘gris’ (grey). The Champenois had discovered how to vinify light-coloured wines from the Pinot Noir grape. ‘Vin Gris’ and England -- Although the red wines of Champagne had been known in England for some time, the new ‘vin gris’ was only introduced there in the early 1660’s. A M. de Saint-Evremond, courtier to Louis XIV but fallen from the king’s favour, fled to London, quickly establishing himself as an English society arbiter of fashion. Saint-Evremond loved the wines of Champagne above all others, and procured modest shipments of the wines, which became instantly popular. It is from this period that the first accounts of sparkling Champagne wines are found. The Wars -- The First World War and Prohibition were disastrous times for Champagne. Vineyards became battlefields, cellars were emptied, export markets evaporated and economic depression left few buyers for luxury goods. A major market for Champagne had been Imperial Russia, and of course, that market disappeared following the revolution in 1917. Again, in World War II, the vineyards once again became battlefields and France was occupied by the Nazis. It is only since the end of World War II that Champagne has so spectacularly rebuilt itself. In 1941, the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne was legally established, and has since contributed not only to administering production regulations in Champagne, but to promoting the wines throughout the world. The CIVC also has a team of lawyers protecting the name of Champagne. Woe betide anyone who tries to call their new brand of washing powder "Champagne Suds"! Le Rivage is a trading name of Treasure Island Investments (UK) Limited. | Top
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