BKWine Travel Stories: Epernay in spring. Day 1.

Lovely sunshine on the way here. A few promising days ahead, going up to 20 degrees, accoriding to forecasts.

Avenue de Champagne perfect in sunset around 20.15 with deep blue sky.

Still doing road work on the Avenue, but not too bad. In evening all the 'houses' are brilliantly lit: Moet & Chandon, Perrier-Jouet, Pol Roger, de Venoge, Boizel, de Castellane, Mercier, Vranken / Demoiselle... Big boys...

Nice dinner at Table Kobus.

[Epernay is curiously lacking in good restaurants so there's not an awful lot of chocie. A few intereseting ones, e.g. le Berceau, famous, and Table Kobus. Terrible choice of hotels but Ibis is OK, as Ibis is. Not luxury, but dependable. Odd how "the heart of champagne is a bit lacking in choice of both restaurants and hotels.]

Starting with a nice rillette de saumon with a 100% pinot meunier from Eric Castres, original and interesting. Then a confit de canard with a somewhat smoky ecrase' de pomme de terre (would have been better without the smoky tang) with a champagne from Lemaire that was a blend from the three traditionial grapes. Much deeper in colour and more mature. And finishing with a tiramisou with bisquits roses de Reims (of course). And to round off, a coffee with mignardises (delicious caramel toffee !) and a marc de champagne. With the original touch that we were sincerely and thorougly recommended by the waitor not to have the marc. You know, Sir, it really is not good! But we insisited.

A good start.

Off for some serious tasting tomorrow.