OS Corkscrew Trip to the Champagne
4 May 2022
On Wednesday 4 May, we set off on our inaugural OS Corkscrew trip to the Champagne region in France, guided by Guy Boursot from ‘Over The Top Tours’, and it did not disappoint!
We greeted our guests near Cleopatra’s Needle on the Embankment and once the coffees, bacon rolls and pastries were handed out, our superstar of a coach driver, David, headed south for Folkstone and the Eurotunnel.
Once in France, we had a very short journey before arriving in Ardres to collect our guide, Guy, and enjoy a delicious lunch at La Bonne Auberge. With everybody back on board, we set off for Reims and the House of Taittinger.
Champagne Taittinger is a medium sized high-quality producer located on the outskirts of Reims, in Old Saint Nicaise Abbey dating back to the 13th century but, of course, the real interest lies beneath, where there are cavernous cellars carved out of the local chalk. Once inside, we met up with the remainder of our group who had travelled independently and were greeted by our tour guide. Leaving the brightness of the day behind, we worked our way down, approximately 66ft under the Abbey down a winding staircase into the cellars. Surprisingly the caves were vast and high and not what we were expecting. The tour guide gave a fascinating account of the Taittinger history and the Champagne production. After the tour, our guests were more than ready to partake in some tasting. Two different varieties of Champagne were served so that we could appreciate the different flavours.
It was now late afternoon and we headed back to the coach and drove to our hotel, Hôtel de la Paix, ideally located in the heart of Reims, near local shops, bars, restaurants and a short walk from the Cathedral, otherwise known as Notre-Dame de Reims. The cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and was the traditional location for the coronation of the Kings of France. Once we had dropped off our luggage in our rooms, Guy had arranged for a delicious dinner accompanied by some lovely wines at a local restaurant I’Apostrophe, just a short walk away from the Hotel.
On Thursday morning, after a continental breakfast which included the most delicious 
pastries, we boarded the coach and made the 30-minute journey to the small but very prestigious house of Champagne Pol Roger located on the Avenue de Champagne in Erpernay. We were incredibly privileged to be able to visit Pol Roger, as the House is not open to the public. As the only guests on site, it made the visit all the more special. We were warmly greeted by Syliva, a senior member of the Pol Roger team for over 20 years, who escorted us around the site educating us on the most interesting history and producing process. The cellars of Pol Roger are located 38 feet underground and span over 10km. The Epernay cellars are more like tunnels than those in Reims. Our tour concluded in the tasting room of the Main House, a beautiful property with walls adorned of letters from members of the Royal Household and humorous artwork as well as the most impressive of 
Pol Roger memorabilia. Sylvia had arranged a tasting of some of Pol Roger’s different cuvées, including the exquisite Sir Winston Churchill (definitely a firm favourite for most on the tour!).
We thanked Sylvia for her incredible hospitality and headed for another delectable lunch with super wines at a restaurant Le Bois Joli, Saint-Imoges located in the woods outside Epernay. A welcomed break after a thoroughly enjoyable morning.
After lunch, we travelled southwards to the village of Mensil sur Oger in Côte des Blancs, which is Chardonnay countryside. Here, we visited Champagne Launois which was quite fun. They have developed a museum of champagne curios that has grown considerably over the years. At first it appeared a little kitsch until you see the extent of the collection. Everything from 16th century presses weighting 15 tons to corkscrews and muzzles (the metal disc on top of the bottle!). The tour concluded with a tasting of their Champagne which is delicious and not too expensive. Like so many producers in the region, following the disastrous harvest in 2021, they do not have much wine available at the moment.
By early evening we were back in Reims, which allowed our guests some free time to explore the shops, visit the Cathedral or enjoy a few drinks in the local bars.
On Friday morning, after vacating the hotel, we headed to the Premier Cru village of 
Hautvillers, which is best known as where the famous monk Dom Pérignon lived, stopping at some grapevines on the way to enjoy the picturesque countryside. Once we arrived at Hautvillers, we headed to Champagne G. Tribaud located in beautiful countryside, a thriving House that produces small volumes of high-quality champagne.
We were greeted by Madame Tribaut, who gave a fascinating talk on viticulture as well as highlighting the ups and downs of a small vigneron, before serving up some divine cuvées, 
which included Blanc de Noir, Blanc de Blanc and Millésime Blanc de Blancs.
With everyone making considerable purchases at Tribaut, it was time for our last lunch of the trip at Chez Max, another incredible restaurant serving the most delicious food and wine, before heading back northwards to Calais.
Before reaching Calais, we were able to divulge in some last-minute wine shopping at Guy’s lavish shop, Boursot located in Ardres. It was here, we said a goodbye to Guy, who was the most wonderful guide for the duration of our trip. From the Champagne Houses to the delicious food and wine, Guy ensured that we received a full fun packed, detailed experience over a short time. We cannot thank him enough for his hospitality during this period or indeed, our superb driver David Maynard, from Bayliss Executive Travel.
On our journey back to London, we received a wonderful message from John 'Fingers' Fingleton (Chatham 66) which wished the group well and thanked them for taking part in the excursion. Fingers is jointly responsible for initiating this trip a number of years ago alongside his Chatham studymate, Geoffrey Wolfson (Chatham 66), and was sadly not well enough to attend by the time it came to fruition.
We hope to run this trip again in a few years’ time. If you are interested in attending, please contact the OS Office by emailing oldstoic@stowe.co.uk