The mission was simply this - fly to France, drive to Champagne, the region, visit some of the great names in Champagne, photograph as much as I could, come back sober and tell the story.

Le Champagne bears the name of the old province of France, La Champagne, where it is made. The vinicultural zone is officially limited and vigorously controlled by French law, covering 84,000 acres, of which more than 60,000 re under vines. Within this region there are some 250 different villages of 'crus', each with its own characteristics. Beyond the limits of this region, Champagne cannot be made, nor can grapes produced outside this region be used to make Champagne.

Wine was first produced in Champagne by the clergy and the religious orders. The first wine-producing vineyards are thought to have appeared some time between the third and fifth centuries, presumably as a northward extension of the vines planted in southern France by the Greeks and Romans, dating back as far as the year 280.
The fairs and festivals of champagne throughout the Middle Ages enabled merchants from all over the world to experience and appreciate the wine, thereby putting the region on the oenological map. As new kings came to Reims to be crowned, they too acquired a liking for the wine as did the nobility of the kingdom and the ruling families.

By the middle of the 17th Century, wine makers had found the secret to stabilizing their wines to make them last for several years. They also learned, after much hard work and endless experimentation, that they could obtain a white wine from black grapes. Towards the end of the century, leading religious figures of the time, Dom Pierre Perignon at Hautvillers, Brother Jean Oudart at Pierry and other men of the soil, combined their skills as wine tasters, selected the best grapes and succeeded in arresting fermentation. They obtained a clear wine which always retained its sparkle. This was the birth of Champagne as we know it today.

Champagne gained immediate popularity, particularly in Europe where the kings, emperors and aristocracy made it the wine for festivities and celebrations. By 1729 the first Champagne houses of Epernay and Reims were founded. Always striving for the ultimate result, the vine growers selected the best vines and developed a cutting method favouring quality rather than quantity, while the Champagne merchants concentrated on the composition of ever better blends and planned to conquer the most distant markets.

From an annual sale of a few hundred thousand bottles in 1785, sales rose to six-and-a-half million bottles in 1845, nearly 30 million by the end of the 19th century and 200 million today. As they say in the movies - that's a lot of hooch.

Monday - Champagne Ruinart

Pulling the little Renault station wagon into the grounds of Maison Ruinart, I felt I should have been stepping from an elegant satin-lined carriage, drawn by white horses and carrying a cane and wearing a plume in my hat. One is allowed any amount of indulgence when walking into what is reputedly Champagne's most senior Maison. Our hostess was a delightful young English lady named Noelle Gate (alas, French by marriage), who was only too pleased to show us around the expansive establishment that was founded sometime before 1729.

Our journey began at the top of a long flight of stairs and being greeted by a small statue of Saint Remi, who was Bishop of Reims during the 5th century. As we descended to the lower level of the cellars we could notice the abrupt change in temperature. Noelle informed me that what makes the 'crayeres' or chalk pits ideal for storing wine is the fact that the temperature does not vary by more than one degree celsius, be it summer or winter.

For the first time, we entered a crayere. We stood on a concrete floor, 60 feet below the ground, in a cave shaped like an inverted funnel, one of an intricate network of tunnels winding for hundreds of kilometres beneath the undulating pastures of Champagne. Far above at ground level, sunlight burst through a small hole which the Romans had made when beginning quarrying, outward and down, butting the chalk into blocks and lifting them out through this small opening.

The tunnels were dug out by Roman slave gangs, quarrying the blocks for building houses, and I can tell you, to look at pick marks twelve feet up a tunnel wall made thousands of years ago by some unfortunate beggar is to experience an acute attack of insignificance. Also, just the thought of all that hard work was giving me quite a thirst.

Mounted on boards called 'pupitres' were literally millions of bottles of Ruinart Champagne, all at different stages of their evolution. Even my Hewlett Packard was not up to the task of estimating the dollar value of what lay before my eyes.

Still today, picking is done by hand and I was assured that only the best grapes are selected for the Champagne appellation. The first pressing constitutes the 'cuvee', followed by two further pressings, the 'premier taille' and 'duxieme taille'. Only the juice from these three pressings may be used to make Champagne.

The must is put in open vats or casks for the first fermentation which, in a few weeks, transforms the grape juice into wine. The must from each vineyard is stored separately and at the end of winter, when the still wine has became clear, each wine is evaluated for its specific qualities. This is when the wine-maker, with his computer-like nose, does his thing.

A characteristic and consistent style is achieved by marrying wines from different vineyards, grape varieties and harvests. This is where the tradition, settled and maintained by famous Champagne names, is fully expressed.

When blending is complete, a small quantity of cane sugar and yeast are added. The wine is bottled, corked and the bottles are stacked on their sides in the cool dark cellars. The yeasts react slowly on the sugar, causing a second fermentation within the stoppered bottle. This natural reaction produced the fine bubbles and a light persistent froth, characteristic of Champagne.

After the second fermentation, the bottles remain in the cellars for several years to age on the yeast, until the wine reaches the incomparable delicacy typical of the wine. The dead cells of the yeast form a sediment in the bottle. To eliminate this sediment without removing the wine from the bottle, a riddling and disgorging process is used as part of the traditional method, then a small amount of wine and sugar are added, the 'dosage', according to the type of wine desired; brut, extra dry, dry, semi dry. The bottle then receives its final cork and a label that is a sign of its authenticity.

After seeing how the bubbly was made, stored monitored and finally packed, we were led into a reception room where we were to at long last taste some of the prized nectar of the house. In this time capsule of the medieval era lives a ledger in which can be seen the oldest record of the sale of Champagne Ruinart, dated 1st September, 1729. I felt I could easily relate to such indisputable evidence of the grass roots of French Champagne System with a half-full crystal flute held bubbling in my hand.

In the evening we were to be guests of the house at a little restaurant in an outer suburb on the road to Epernay called 'Le Chardonnay', an establishment that we were to become very familiar with, as we were to be dined there a number of times during our visit.

Cuisine Nouvelle may not be everyone's idea of a satisfying meal. I myself have criticized the fashion back home in Melbourne, as a way to paint a pretty picture without squeezing the tube of paint. The French, however, take a more practical attitude towards their beloved cuisine nouvelle and do not limit meals to three courses: four, five or six courses are quite commonplace - it depends how hungry you are or to what lengths you must go to impress.

This, my first meal in France, consisted of an entree of smoked salmon spirals filled with salmon mousse, accompanied by tender young asparagus spears poached in champagne (what else!). Following this treat I decided on a rare fillet of duck with baby carrots, button squash and green beans, all lying in a warm bath of the smoothest, most delicious Madeira sauce I have ever tasted.

The chef's artistry was impeccable, and for the next delight I decided to try scampi tails poached in a court buillon and champagne, on a bed of pureed spinach and topped with a delightful piquant Hollandaise sauce. Assorted sorbets cleansed our palates in readiness of what was to become my favourite ritual, the destruction of the cheeseboard. I systematically and may I say quite discerningly zeroed in on my favourite morsels, Brie, Chevre, Camembert and Pont l'eveque, from the metre-square wicker tray. Presenting no less than seventeen types of cheese, it was taken away considerably lighter.

Throughout the meal, Ruinart Champagne was enjoyed by all. The Rose was interesting, the Brut memorable. This was a wonderful start to our tour.

Tuesday.- Champagne Pommery

Still relishing the delights of the previous evening, I turned the Renault into the vast grounds of the House of Pommery Champagne. As our well informed and pretty guide told me, the house of Pommery was founded back in 1836, just as Champagne sales were developing around the world.

Only 26 years later, the head of the company, Louis Alexander Pommery died, leaving his widow Jeanne Alexandrine Louise Pommery in charge. After very difficult beginnings under the new management, the company gained footholds initially in France, then in Belgium and the Netherlands. The widow Pommery set her sights on the large potential of the British market and opened an agency in London in 1861. She fell in love with English gothic architecture, as is evidenced by the office buildings at Pommery today.

The walls of these old buildings house one of the most modern 'cuveries' in Champagne, with a capacity of over 65,000 hectolitres. Our tour led us through huge cellars 30 meters underground to where we saw lying in patient, dark silence, several millions of bottles of Champagne awaiting their turn to delight the world.

In the lavish, informal tasting lounge in the administration centre we met the head man of Pommery's P.R. machine, Monsieur Patrick Bertrand, a perfectly charming middle-aged man with a bristly white beard. He was the epitome of the French country squire right down to the tweed jacket and knitted tie, with a dry wit. I knew we would get along nicely when he asked me, "And you, Mister Pavorotti, what do you do?" I remarked that if not for the safety of the crystal flutes in the room, I might sing him a few bars of La Traviata. We all had a giggle and proceeded to demolish a bottle of Cuvee Louise Pommery, an 1986 release to commemorate Pommery's 150 year. The wine was as impressive as the bottle's solid bronze label.

We were taken to a charming restaurant in the heart of Remiss called 'Le Vigneron'. In a very rustic setting, an abundance of old world viticultural paraphernalia adorned the walls. Behind a floor to ceiling glass enclosure along two walls was a wine museum, full of old relics and store dummies dressed up in the centuries-old garb of vineyards workers.

Scanning the menu with ever increasing confidence, I detected a dish I had read about on the plane, 'Salade Au Lardons'. This, I remembered, was a very hearty concoction that the women would take to their husbands working on the vines as the main meal of the day. Brought to my table was a bed of tender young spinach leaves, uncooked, with a slight amount of condiment, topped with a hot mix of fried onion, potatoes and bacon pieces, the whole thing crowned with a perfectly poached egg with the pan juices from the onion and bacon poured over. Talk about filling....

Having devoured this delightful combination, accompanied by an equally delightful bottle of Pommery Brut Rose, I wondered how I would accommodate the 'Filet De Bouef au Sauce Moutarde' which was to follow. I need not have worried, I managed quite well.

Unfortunately we had to forego dessert because time was on the wing and we had to rush off to our next appointment. It was only my sophisticated worldliness and my impeccable style that enabled me to damp the temptation of a doggie bag full of goodies from the ever-present cheeseboard.

Tuesday, -Champagne Lanson

Driving in any city of France can be a harrowing experience, more so if you don't know where you are or where you're supposed to be going. This was the case as we meandered back and forth through one of Reims' inner suburbs, looking for the elusive Avenue Lundy where, we were assured, we would find Maison Lanson. Quite by chance I spotted the gold-leaf insignia of the company on a large glass door across the road. I screeched into a u-turn and in true Parisian taxi driver fashion, slammed the car into the first parking spot I could find, jumping the kerb and leaving the Renault straddling the gutter.

We were greeted by our host, Monsieur Jean-Baptiste Lanson, Vice President Public Relations Reims, who promptly, because of our tardiness, embarked us on a tour of his plant. By now we were developing a far more extensive insight of the Champagne industry and were quite accustomed to the crayeres and sights of overflowing liquid riches. I had, on an earlier visit, detected one of my companions staring up into the crayeres, with mouth wide open, looking something like a large bespectacled Venus fly trap.

"Due to the quality of the wines", said Monsieur Lanson, "We have an enviable share of the highly sought-after and very competitive British market. We are the second largest-selling champagne in the United Kingdom, the largest-selling brand in the Caribbean, and the third largest in both Japan and Australia".

Maison Lanson was founded back in 1760, but the company had not really made great progress until well into the 19th Century under the direction of Jean-Baptise Lanson. Their vineyards today consist of 210 hectares of the finest growths in the Champagne district, which is divided into three main grape-growing areas, The Montagne de Reims and the Vallee de la Marne, where the black grapes are grown, and the Cote des Blancs, where most of the white Chardonnary grapes are grown.

Over dinner, at the restaurant called Les Port Mars, Monsieur Lanson added that their cellar capacity of 26 million bottles was by no means the largest in Champagne, but it was adequate to store enough wine for sale to over 100 countries throughout the world.

It was on this occasion that I decided to try one of my favourite French treats, 'Escargots Bourguignone'. Although the dish provided the delightful taste sensations that I remember so well, it did lack the presentation of which I am so fond, the snails in their shells. Instead, they were served in a rather uninspiring ceramic dimpled plate. Not so disappointing was my main course, 'Pied du Porc au Pain' (otherwise known as breaded pig's trotters), accompanied by a pad of 'rosti'. This was such a filling repast, that again I was almost forced to forego my continuing love affair with the cheeseboard. Nevertheless, the dinner was enjoyed by all and as we bid our host goodnight, I started to wonder what delights tomorrow would bring.

Wednesday, -Charles Heidsieck Champagne

I greeted the next morning with a much-needed jog along the nearby streets around the hotel, only to run past a local 'patisserie' where the tantalizing aromas of the morning's bake were as alluring to me as the singing of the sirens was to Ulysses. Not having anybody to tie me to the mast, I stepped inside the shop to be confronted by the most magnificent array of goodies I had ever seen. Surrounded by croissants, brioches, fruit tarts, flans, pies, strudels and fresh biscuits, I realized that coming into this place when I was hungry could well prove fatal. After quickly assessing the danger of the situation, I made my selection and clutching hot croissants, large brioche and an apple Danish, ran from the shop to find the necessary accompaniment of a pot of coffee at the hotel ... a helpful start to the day which would take us firstly to the cellars of yet another great Champagne House, Charles Heidsieck.

The title on the card in hand said, "President Directeur General de la Maison", the voice behind the extended hand said, "Hello, I'm Gijsbert Hooft-Graafland, welcome to La Maison Charles Heidsieck". My friends and I were invited into Mr. Hooft-Graafland's rather modern office (which seemed a little out of step with an industry so steeped in tradition), where we listened for close to an hour to the origins, evolution and current standing of the Heidsiek company and indeed the champagne industry in general.

Mr. Hooft-Graaftland explained that Charles Heidsieck was founded in 1785, starting an evolution that would stabilise in 1985 when a majority shareholding was taken by the famous company Remy Martin.

Heidsieck produces six qualities of Champagne: Demi-sec, Brut, Vintage, Rose, Blanc de Blancs and the favourite in the United States, "Champagne Charlie", the nickname Americans bestowed on Charles Heidsieck when he arrived in Louisiana at the time of the Second Empire. The company is presently enjoying sales of 3.3 million bottles per year to 33 countries. France herself accounts for 37.8% of their market, the rest of Europe 38%, North and South America 15.2%, Asia 4%, and Australia and the South Sea Islands 3.3%.

I'll admit that by now I was feeling a little like a prospective buyer...of the whole company! The perfect host, Mr. Hooft-Graaftland recognized that the expressions before him resulted from boggled brains and perfectly timed our introduction to our hostess, Marie-France Beck. We were promptly escorted through the maze of tunnels and caves that formed the cellars of the famous House. Marie-France Beck was herself quite a torrent of information and, well, I could have listened to her all day. Marie-France's English was adequate, dotted here and there with some uncertainties, and her beautiful French accent was a delight to the senses. Wandering through the now quite familiar 'crayeres', we came across a team of 'remouers', the cellarmen who are responsible for the systematic jiggling and gradual tilting of the bottles to deposit the sediment against the cork for later removal. The quick repetitive movements of their muscular hands and wrists had me wondering how these guys could keep it up at a rate of 30,000 bottles a day...thoughts of tendonitis, workcare claims, union regulations, etc, etc.

In the tasting rooms, we met the Maison's winemaker and rejoined Mr. Hooft-Graaftland to sample some of Heidsieck's masterpieces and some recent vintages. The comparisons were most interesting. Outstanding were the Bruit, Blanc de Blancs and the Rose. Even to my comparatively under-educated palate, they were all diverse and of course totally delightful.

The winemaker explained the three grape varieties proven over the centuries to be matched perfectly with Champagne's soil and climate are Pinot Noir, which provides the wine's body and strength, Chardonnay, the only white grape of the three, which gives the wine its elegance and finesse, and the Pinot Meunier, selected for its freshness and youth.

I was quite pleased to learn that for lunch our host had booked a table at 'Le Chardonnay' once again, so we trotted off to the restaurant, mouths watering with anticipation. Le Chardonnay, of course, lived up to expectations. I enjoyed the smoked salmon spirals so much on my last visit, that I decided to have them once more.

I must admit that by now I had started to wonder whether there were any other beverages in France other than Champagne and Perrier, and so could have jumped the table and kissed a now quite informal Gijsbert when we suggested that we might like to try a red, a 1971 Chateau Latour to be precise.

The inevitable Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs accompanied the salmon superbly and the Latour danced a majestic symphony across my palate, a fitting escort to my 'Ragu de Gognons' (kidney stew, for want of a more appealing translation). Dessert, coffee and to the amusement of our waiter, my usual plundering of the cheeseboard ended a truly magnificent lunch. We were driven back to our car at the Heidsieck headquarters, where we bid our hosts a fond farewell, putting behind us one of the most rewarding visits of our trip.

Wednesday, -Champagne Perrier Jouet

Founded in Epernay in 1871 by Pierre Nicholas-Marie Perrier-Jouet, the House of Perrier-Jouet is renowned the world over for its famous prestige cuvee, 'Belle Epoque'. Our host on this visit was the company's Vice President, Michel Budin. After the tour of the plant we sat and talked to Mr. Budin in the comfort of an elegant lounge, where we also sampled the 'Belle Epoque'. It was a welcome rest after walking through some of the 10 kilometres of the maturing cellars, once again familiarising ourselves with yet more crayeres, stacks of bottles and dark, cool silence.

Of a total of 400 hectares of Cramant, the very heart of the 'Cote des Blancs', Perrier-Jouet owns 40 hectares, which allows the company to blend a substantial proportion of the finest Chardonnay in its cuvees, a proportion that in most cases is up to 50%, hence the wine's finesse and elegance which met with my friends' and my approval. After being presented with a momento of the visit, a lovely silk tie with the coat of arms of Reims, we were taken to dinner once again. This time the restaurant was closer to Epernay, 'La Briqueterie'.

The giant white asparagus they have in France are quite wonderful. Six of these beauties on a plate with a dob of exquisite Hollandaise were a superb entree to a dinner that for me consisted of mignons of veal on top of a poached artichoke heart and sauteed champignon, a 'compote' of pear and more Perrier-Jouet with the cheeses. A meal to end another perfect day.

Thursday, -Champagne Bollinger

Just over the Marne River only a short drive north-east from Epernay, we drove into the quaint township of Ay, where on a bright sunny morning we found the rather imposing facade of the administrative offices of one of my favourites, Champagne Bollinger.

Standing in the middle of the courtyard, I imagined the heavy grey door at the centre of the building being flung open and three musketeers charging through on horseback, rapiers flashing, plumes flying and horseshoes rattling on the historic cobblestone pavement.

My fertile imagery was interrupted by the greeting from our host, Monsieur Arnauld d'Hautefuille, great-great nephew of Madame Elizabeth Bollinger. We were joined by another group of visitors for our tour, all Australians and all involved in food and wine.

The tour started with a brief history of the company, our host recounting how in the beginning of the 18th century the family of the Count de Villermont, a noble with origins in the Champagne dating back to the 15th Century, bought their first vineyards in Cuis and then in Ay. In 1829 the Admiral Count de Villermont charged his new son-in-law Jacques Bollinger with the task of selling the produce of the company under the Bollinger name. Jacques presided over the firm's destiny until his son Georges took over, to be in turn replaced by his son Jacques.

Jacques (II) married Miss Elizabeth Law de Lauriston-Boubers and upon his death in 1941, she took over the reins to become probably the most famous member of this illustrious family. Under her energetic control the company realised new markets and entered an era of careful expansion with even stronger emphasis on quality. When asked how she enjoyed her own product, Madam, Lily Bollinger was quoted as replying thus:

"I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad.

Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone.

When I have company I consider it obligatory.

I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am.

Otherwise I never touch it

- Unless I'm thirsty".

(Daily Mail, 17th October, 1961)

Over lunch at his home, Arnauld d'Hauterfuille explained to us the soil-vine relationship so vitally important in the production of the wine. Champagne, like all great wines, is born from a delicate combination of climate and soil and it is the exceptional nature of the soil on which the vine is planted that determines the flavour so characteristic of the wine of Champagne.

Most of the vineyards are situated on hillsides and the roots grow deep down into chalky depths covered by a thin layer of limestone. The chalk strata extends down to a depth of 800 feet. It was during he Gallo Roman era that the chalk was quarried to build the city called Durocotorum, now known as Reims.

This chalky sub-soil (belemnita quadrata) provides the vine with all the nutritional substances it needs while ensuring perfect drainage. The chalk absorbs the warmth of the sun during the day and gently redistributes it during the colder hours of night, thus regulating the elements to the benefit of the ripening plants which have been pruned and trained to grow very slow and close to the ground, enabling them to absorb the gentle warmth.

The harsh climate of Northern France has a bearing on the quality of the wine. The young vines must adapt to an annual average temperature of 10C, and live through the dangers of frost in spring and snow in winter. Once the danger period is over, the harvest begins. In Champagne, the 'crus' or growths, are classified according to their quality, from 77% for the least distinguished, to 100% for the best. The growers retain their grading as long as their quality is maintained between 97% to 100%.

Knowing that Arnauld had visited Australia, I asked him what he thought of Australian Champagne (I baited him and he did bite). With exaggerated indignation he answered; "Monsieur, of course you mean Australian Sparkling wine..." His face instantaneously changed to a wide sardonic grin, then he laughed.

The interesting and informative discussion with our host was momentarily interrupted by the arrival of our first course, which was 'Jambon du parma' (prosciutto ham) with wedges of melon, a popular Italian antipasto of which I am very fond. This was followed by a poached salmon fillet and vegetables with a velute of sauce 'beurre blanc'. Accompanied by a selection of Bollinger champagnes, including their famed 1976 R.D., the meal was a credit to the family's housekeeper, who seemed quite bashful if not reluctant to accept praise for her efforts.

After lunch we shared a tour of the family house and inspected the private vineyard at the rear, before we bid our host and his family a fond 'adieu'.

Saturday,-Champagne Moet & Chandon

For me, this day was another highlight of the trip. The visit to Maison Moet at Chandon in Epernay started in quite routine fashion: the introduction to our host Arnaud de Mareuil, the usual showing through the cellars, the bottling, storing and packing facilities and the now familiar preamble about Champagne in general.

It was not until lunch that the visit became truly unique. We were escorted across the Avenue de Champagne from the imposing facade of the Moet building that features a statue of that most celebrated of all monks, Dom Perignon, to the equally imposing house that Moet and Chandon built for one of their most illustrious clients: Napoleon Bonaparte, as a place in which he and his entourage could stay while on his frequent visits to Epernay to buy his Champagne. I cannot begin to describe my sentiments as I sat down to lunch in the same room used by the Emperor and slipped a glass of Dom Perignon on the balcony of the drawing room, overlooking the orangery and French garden surrounding a trout-stocked pond.

In the plush comfort of the drawing room, our host introduced me to John Simpson, the Maison's historian, a British gent who was to be our guide that afternoon on our tour of the Abbey at Hautvillers, where Dom Perignon dedicated his life to developing and perfecting the 'Methode Champenoise'.

Hautevillers is situated only a few minutes drive due north of Epernay over the river Marne, in some of the most beautiful countryside in La Champagne. John, our historian guide, embarked us on the most interesting and authoritative tour I can remember.

Born in Champagne in 1683, son of a family of lawyers, Pierre Perignon became the pupil of the Jesuit Fathers in Chalons. In 1667 he entered the order of the Benedictines at St. Vannes. He studied theology until 1665 and was ordained priest in 1666, when he was sent to Hautvillers. Cellarer of the monastery from 1678, he studied and experimented with the composition of blends and implemented the use of the second fermentation in the bottle developing the method still used by Champagne producers of today. Dom Perignon was also influential in the use of cork as bottle stoppers, replacing the stoppers of wood wrapped in oil-soaked hemp that until then were adequate for still wines, but unable to withstand the pressure generated by the second fermentation and the gases that gave the wine its sparkle.

It was a wonderful thrill to wander around the laboratory where Dom Perignon experimented, seeing all the tools and endless collection of vinicultural hardware he used, left as it in suspended animation, waiting for him to return at any moment.

We visited the Abbey and saw his place of rest in the choir of the church. His work will never be forgotten. We were then shown around the pressing shed, where the ancient wooden wine press, now at rest, sits quietly as a reminder of how things were, and how very little in essence the machinery has changed since those early days.

I wandered around the courtyard alone, looking for the best vantage point for a photo of this most wonderful place and propped on a slightly elevated lawn to the side of the hill beside the church. In the bright afternoon sun, the almost complete silence was broken by the chanting of the monks as they entered the church from the cloisters for their evening prayers, just as they did when Dom Perignon scuttled around in wooden sandals on this the holiest of ground in the Champagne.

During Dom Perignon's lifetime, Claude Moet lived near Hautvillers in the vineyard village of Cumieres and cultivated his vines in the Marne Valley. In 1743 he founded the house of Moet. Under the management of his grandson, Jean-Remy, soon after the French Revolution, Moet acquired the Abbey of Hautvillers and its vineyards. In 1832, Jean-Remy Moet handed over the House to his son Victor Moet and his son-in-law Pierre-Gabriele Chandon. Since then the company has been known as Moet Et Chandon.

Monday,-Veuve Cliquot Champagne

Philippe Cliquot founded the company in 1772. In the early years the firm was producing a mere 5000 bottles per year and selling to markets in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and of course within France. In 1779 Francoise, the son of Phillippe Cliquot married Nicole, daughter of Baron Ponsardin. In 1805 Francoise died, leaving behind the Veuve (widow) Cliquot.

Refusing to let her husband's efforts and those of his father before him go to waste, Nicole Cliquot took charge of the company and renamed it Veuve Cliquot-Ponsardin, tagging on her maiden name. Her philosophy, like that of other women given charge of Champagne houses in those days, was to export to as many different markets as possible. She has been credited with the yellow label that still identifies the non-vintage lines. According to historians, she is also said to have invented the 'remouage' method of depositing the sediment of the secondary fermentation against the cork of the bottle.

Monsieur Patrick Baseden, Veuve Cliquot's export director, then informed us of the origins of the name of Champagne for the wine. It seems that in the early days, the name for sparkling wine was 'Vin Mousseaux'. Many sparkling wines became popular throughout the world, so in order to distinguish themselves from the other pretenders, the French called theirs' Vin Mousseaux de Champagne'. It evolved further to 'Vin de Champagne' and finally to simply 'Champagne'. Interestingly, it seems that even in those days the wine producers of France resented the world being able to 'ride their wave', much as they do today.

Today Veuve Cliquot-Ponsardin produces seven million bottles per year. The holding company also own the French perfume giant Givenchy and the famous luggage brand of Louis Vuitton, making it one of the largest and most diversified luxury groups in France. They export 80% of their total production, be it Champagne, perfume or luggage. Of the Champagne, Italy takes the largest portion of the export market, accounting for one million bottles per year, Germany and England buy 900,000 bottles annually.

We ended our visit with Veuve Cliquot-Posardin in a quaint little lounge where we sampled some of the famous lines, amongst them a bottle of the cuvee 'la Grande Dame', a special commemoratie bottling named after the old matriarch herself, the widow Cliquot-Posardin. To my delight I was presented with my own bottle in its presentation box as I was leaving...parting is such sweet sorrow.

Tuesday,-Champagne Krug

Maxim's restaurant in Paris celebrated its 80th birthday with it, Charles toasted Diana with it, the Pope has been farewelled with it, Michel Guerard celebrated his three Michelin stars with it, Coco Chanel celebrated a new design with it and Brussels celebrated 1000 years of the city with it, so why shouldn't I drink it too? For a long time Krug Champagne has been one of my favourites.

The house of Krug was founded in 1843 by Johann Joseph Krug. He wrote down after a lifetime's experience the rules for creating a perfect champagne. He knew that the most important rule of all was an unswerving determination to produce nothing less. Five generations later, his successors still adhere to his rules.

How odd that such a relatively young company, one of the youngest in fact, still employs the oldest techniques in creating their special brand of Champagne. Krug are reputedly the only champagne house still fermenting wine in oak barrels. The sight of oaken barrels containing slowly fermenting Champagnes has become a rarity in the district. Not so in the House of Krug, where they still insist on using this old-fashioned and expensive method. Each barrel is made by hand and holds only 205 litres (enough for 273 bottles). Should any barrel need repairing, the wood has to be brought from the oak forest of the Argonne.

Our host, Monsieur Henri Krug, said proudly, "We take all this trouble not simply to follow tradition, we are continuing with this method which has been all but given up in the pursuit of economy, because so far nobody has found a better way of making the finest Champagne than allowing prolonged contact between the wine of Champagne and the oak of the Argonne".

A tasting session followed, during which we not only tasted Krug Champagnes, but also some still wines of the previous crushings that were soon to be blended together for next year's vintages. As expected, these were not really palatable wines. Mr. Krug invited us to return when the champagne was made, to which we responded in unanimous agreement.

Two bottles of Grand Cuvee and one of Vintage Krug later, the hunger pains in my stomach must have registered a certain expression of anguish on my face, because our host promptly bundled us into his car and off we went once more to our favourite retreat, 'Le Chardonnay'.

A Foie Gras and Prawn Terrine was the way in which I chose to start what was to be our last meal in this delightful restaurant, followed by a panfried fillet of Turbot with carrot and zucchini julienne and asparagus poached in Champagne. This time I was determined to really do a job on the cheeseboard which was brought before me, like sacrificial offerings on a wicker altar. I descended upon the selection with the grace of a horde of plundering Vikings. Then, as quietly as it had come, the cheeseboard was retrieved by the bewildered waiter to be rearranged and amply replenished for the next patron who, I was certain, would not do it justice.

Tuesday,-Mumm Champagne

This, alas was the last leg of our trip. Sadness filled my heart as I stopped the car outside 29 Rue de Champ de Mars. Even the sight of a pretty hostess, usually a sure-fire remedy, did nothing to cheer me up. We embarked on our tour of the House and were later sat down in a little theatre and shown an interesting documentary on the company.

P.A. Mumm Giesler & Co. was founded in Reims by Gottlieb de Mumm, his two brothers Edouard and Jules and a partner named Giesler, in 1827. The de Mumm family were of German origin and were well established wine merchants with vineyards in the Rhine Valley. Gottlieb's son, Georg Hermann de Mumm, joined the firm in 1838 and in 1853 the company name was changed to Georges Hermann Mumm & Co. now abbreviated to G.H. Mumm & Co.

In 1955 the Canadian group Seagrams took a shareholding in G.H. Mumm & Co. The company was then able to operate on a world scale and to expand its range of exported products, most notorious of all being Chivas Regal whisky.

Our host for dinner was Monsieur Maurice Sanse, the firm's export director. Unfortunately I cannot recall the name of the quaint little inn we fined at that evening. I can only recall that this was going to be my last meal in France...mushroom and shrimp quiche, mushroom and scallop fricassee, poached salmon in a herb mayonnaise and...wait for it...hot chevre (goats cheese) with a cranberry sauce. I finished with poached brandied fruit in a strawberry culis, coffee and a nip of Remy Martin XO Special Champagne Cognac. Life could have ended there and then, I couldn't have complained.

After seeing the evidence of seventeen centuries of vinicultural evolution together with an equal amount of dedicated toil to create and maintain excellence in this most celebrated of all beverages, I for one can understand the ire of the French at the use of the name 'Champagne', for our local product. I now know that Champagne can only come from 'la Champagne', where deep in the chalky darkness millions and millions of bottles wait their turn for the moment when they come up to the light of day, only to have their cork popped and their contents, the very soul of Champagne, spirited away in a frenzy of joyous indulgence.