Sue and I on the TGV, a bullet train that zips from Charles de Gaulle airport to Reims in no time! Order your ticket in advance for best prices!

1. Taking the bullet train from the airport to Reims at sunset after taking a red-eye from LAX.
   

   Sue waits at the brand new train station just outside of Reims You’ll need a ride or to take a local train to get into town.

2. Having an appointment at biodynamic winery with Cyril Collard first thing in the morning where you get to meet the son and the father, visit the cellar, taste your first red wine made in Bouzy, Champagne, and learn how they moved from selling commercially made grapes to making their own biodynamic wines.
   

   Former sommelier Cyril Collard with his dad in their tasting room in Bouzy. You should call in advance to make an appointment!

3. Enjoying a leisurely lunch on the mainly pedestrian Place de Erlon in downtown Reims with a view of a famous fountain and sculpture.
   

   The Place de Erlon features this fountain, Sube, that depicts the four rivers of the region with a sculpture on top La Glorie. The streets in this part of town are largely pedestrian. You should definitely plan some down time relaxing and listening to the water!

    

4.  Using a tablet to take a tour of Reim’s Notre Dame Cathedral and downtown.
   

   You can spend a few minutes or a few hours; plan to join a tour to climb the towers!

    

5. Understanding because of the world wars why there’s so much art deco architecture and seeing vibrant color and art everywhere.
   

   You can take the walking tour with the tablet or just wander around on your own!

    

6. Gazing on the Mars Arch from when Romans ruled the western world including this part of France.
   

   You will feel dwarfed by the size and the age of this Roman Empire Arch from the 3c that’s at one end of a park at the edge of downtown near the new metro center.

    

7. Resting in a hammock in the park near the Mars Arch.
   

   Got jet lag? Reims has hammocks! You could spend all day in this park near the Mars arch! A grocery store nearby could provide all you need for your picnic!

    

8. Meeting a friend at the L’Epicerie Au Bon Manger, a small epicurean market with exquisite humanely raised charcuterie and natural wines (and then learning you can support them during COVID-19 and order from them online!).
   

   

   You will have a difficult time choosing cheeses and charcuterie from the wide selection!

9. Checking out the nightlife and wine bars after dark including the Glue Pot.
   

   You can find the Glue Pot and many other resources on Facebook!

10. A late night stop to check out — and participate in– the pressing of biodynamic grapes gravity fed into barrel.

All of this happened in our first 24 hours in and around Reims in the heart of Champagne, France! So while those of us in the US can’t travel to Reims right now, we will be able to again! In the meantime, enjoy these unexpected pleasures and put them on your to do list!

For more about sustainable, organic and biodynamic Champagne cuvees, read my interview with Caroline Henry here, and definitely check out her book, Terroir Champagne. 

Read about our visit with Vincent Charlot here.

For more unexpected pleasures in Champagne,  read about biodynamic Leclerc Briant and Epernay and see more photos from our visit to Cyril Collard in the invite post here.

Read the preview post and find the twitter chat questions here; you’re invited! Please join our twitter chat on Saturday 6/20/20 by following the hashtag #Winophiles.  We’ll be live at 8am Pacific time!

Find more unexpected pleasures from these ten #Winophiles:

• From Martin: “Champagne Drappier’s Blanc de Quatre Blancs; A Taste of Champagne’s White Heirloom Grape Varieties” www.enofylzwineblog.com aka @martindredmond
• From Cam: “Pour un Pique-Nique Sur le Patio: Roasted Citrus Tart + Jacquart Brut Mosaique” on Culinary Adventures with Camilla  https://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/  aka @Culinary_Cam
• From Cindy: “A Stroke of Serendipity – Discovering Champagne Louis Brochet Brut 1er Cru in London” aka @GrapeExp_Cindy on grape-experiences.com
• From Nicole: “A Super Fancy Pants Grilled Cheese Pairing: Salmon Caviar Croque-Monsieur with Charles Dufour Bulles de Comptoir 6 La Benjamine 2.0 Champagne” on SommsTable.com
• From Robin: “Champagne & BBQ, Chartogne-Taillet meets Rollin’ Smoke” aka @CrushGrapeChron at https://www.crushedgrapechronicles.com/
• From Terry: “Champagne and Sticky Asian Chicken Thighs: Whoa!” on Our Good Life Www.terristeffes.com
• From Jeff: “The Polar Opposite of House Style at Champagne Coessens” on “Food Wine Click!” https://foodwineclick.com/  aka @Foodwineclick
• From Katrina: “Seven is a Charm with Laherte Freres Les 7 Champagne” on https://thecorkscrewconcierge.com/ aka @corksconcierge
• From Susannah: “Falling In Love with Champagne: My First Visit to a Wine region” on avvinare
• From Sue and I: “10 of Champagne’s Unexpected Pleasures: 24 Hours in and around Reims, France for #Winophiles” and “Tasting Biodynamic Champagne with Philippe Lancelot” on winepredator.com aka @artpredator

As you can see, there’s a lot more to Champagne than sparkling wine!