The very friendly receptionist at our hotel organised a cellar tour for us for the Pommery champagne house at 11:00am so although we didn’t sleep in much we took our time and packed our bags to move into the next room. We were originally told that we could leave everything in reception whilst the next room was being made up but then they told us to leave it in the original room and they would move it for us when the new room was ready. That was great and very handy for us but you don’t understand how much stuff we are lugging around and couldn’t help but feel sorry for the poor bugger that had to do that. Anyway we trundled off a bit early in case we got lost as we sometimes seem to do but in this instance all was good. We took some photo’s to kill time and then headed in for the tour. We chose the one that was recommended by the staff which had a choice of 2 flutes each from 4 champagnes so he said we could get 2 different one’s each and therefore taste all four. The tour takes an hour (although they do have a ½ hour one) and takes you right down to the cellars where it is 10 degrees. It was recommended in the brochures that you wear warm clothes but of course Kim and I forgot about that and off we went in singlet/tshirt being that it is another beautiful sunny day, albeit only 25 today and tomorrow. It wasn’t unbearable though so that was good but we were both very disappointed in the tour. We took the tour so as to learn about the champagne making etc. but it had art crap that most people never get the meaning of, music and noises playing through various speakers throughout the cellars and half the time we couldn’t hear our tour guide. When the tour finished back in the tasting room we were last up to the bar. We showed the barman our ticket and he referred us to the next barman at the end of the bar, obviously the special one (very good looking barmen by the way). He poured the first 3 flutes and for the last one he asked if we’d prefer rose or sweet and when we couldn’t decide he poured both so we ended out with 5 instead of 4 and when we took them back to a table to sample them everyone else was looking at us. Apparently most of them had just taken the standard which was one flute of the basic champagne. We polished those off and thought how well we were doing for a couple of chicks that don’t like champagne!
As Taittinger was just around the corner we decided to pop into there as well but alas without Ruby, as we’d decided to walk, we got lost and couldn’t find it. Back to Pommery’s to get the car and set Ruby up, a couple of minutes by car around the corner and we were there. Just not the corner we took by foot. Now we are not stupid people, and maybe some will disagree, but you have no idea what the road signs, etc. are like over here. As we’d stuffed around trying to find it on foot we had to wait around for about ½ hour for it to reopen as it had closed between 1pm and 2pm. We didn’t do the tour there as we didn’t have enough time but had a look around anyway.
We arrived back at the hotel to find our luggage all moved into our new room and everything sorted. We had a quick break there before we headed off to our next appointment that the lovely reception staff organised for us at G. H. Mumm for 3:20pm. That one was within walking distance of about 15 minutes from our hotel but this morning’s receptionist did send us a little up the garden path! We did however find it with plenty of time to spare as we allowed enough for that very reason. We started on the tour with a very informative guide who explained everything from the grapes grown to the crushing, fermentation, rotation, etc. Much, much better tour and just what we wanted without all the bloody arty farty crap. Then it was back to the tasting room….another couple of flutes, once again we’d taken the multiple choice where everyone else except for a couple of Columbian’s had gone for the one flute option. Kim downed both of those whilst I wasn’t impressed with the sweeter option so left that but walked back to our hotel very pleased with ourselves.
We have had a very enjoyable day, for obvious reasons, but both Kim and I expected the Champagne houses to be like they are in our Yarra Valley district not in the middle of a city like they are here. They are surrounded by gardens and their cellars underground go for many, many kilometres but we thought they’d be on a vast property surrounded by vines.
We are biding time now before going out to dinner and then tomorrow we head into Epernay for another appointment that the lovely receptionist has made for us at Moet & Chandon. Now don’t get the wrong impression here, this is all research that Kim is helping me with for my father Col and we are happy to oblige.
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| Jane at Pommery |
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| Kim at Mumm |
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