March 2, 2010
Six of the best French bubbly breaks
Fancy a weekend of romance? Adventure? Fun? Tasting sessions in the Champagne region suit all types, tastes and pocketsAnna Brooke The fashionable one: C. Comme Champagne
The place: Fancy glamming up and staying out late? Then C. Comme Champagne is for you. It’s a smart hybrid champagne-bar in Epernay, capital of the region, with a shop and an informative wine-cellar, and it specialises in serving up champagne from family-run properties.
The look is all whitewashed walls and retro-’70s orange sofas, exposed stone and chrome furnishings evoking a bucolic Bond movie set. The champagne, you’ll be relieved to hear, is neither shaken nor stirred.
The tasting: With more than 250 types of bubbly waiting to fizz on your palate, it’s hard to know where to start. Thankfully, the bar does the hard work for you, by saluting a handful of viticulturists each week with a tasting of five champagnes, served with nibbles and explanations, for just £15.
All that and you can sample the downstairs cellar: wander and see what takes your fancy, then order the champers (from £31 a bottle) to be brought to your table.
Bottles to take away cost 90p more than on the estates themselves; buy a crate of six, and prices are the same (from £12). Decadence on a shoestring has never been so much fun.
The lowdown: C. Comme Champagne, 8 Rue Gambetta 51200 Epernay (00 33 326 320955, www.c-comme.fr). Head out of Epernay (90 minutes by train from Paris Gare de l’Est) and stay at the Clos de Chassins (00 33 323 693668, www.bed-breakfast-champagne.com), which has a spa for Bond-like pampering. Doubles from £81, B&B.
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