Champagne tasting

Champagne - bottles turned using traditional remueur method

Tasting at previous Aÿ Champagne Festival

Ay Champagne Festival Self Drive

6 - 9 July 2012

The Grand Cru village of Aÿ, the greatest of all the champagne villages, is holding its bi-annual Ay champagne festival in July 2012. Aÿ is home to many of the most famous houses such as Bollinger, Deutz & Gelderman, Gosset and Ayala, as well as smaller producers such as Champagne Goutorbe, who make high quality, good value Champagnes, which are mainly from the vineyards of Aÿ. This weekend combines the flexibility of being able to drive or catch the train to the region, with the benefits of an Arblaster & Clarke escorted wine tour with private wine tastings and all the advice of Arblaster & Clarke’s 25 years organising wine tours of Champagne.

During the Aÿ fete there is a tremendous atmosphere in the village as the whole street joins in and many of the Champagne Houses and Growers throw open their doors to the guests. However, this remains a very informal, traditional relaxed French wine village festival. Despite the old, traditional houses that participate, this event is extremely casual, as is the dress code and although it is well organised the atmosphere is one of “fun” rather than formality. In the evening, the festivities continue with dancing in the streets and end with fireworks!

For the entire stay you are based in Aÿ where the festivities take place, in a small 3* Manor House hotel with good size, comfortable rooms that are traditionally decorated. The hotel also has an indoor pool. Aÿ is a peaceful, small traditional Champagne village surrounded by its own vineyards with a few basic restaurants. There is further ample choice of restaurants in Epernay or in the surrounding villages and we will send you a recommended restaurant list nearer the departure date.

Reims, where you’ll visit Veuve Clicquot, is home to many of the great names in Champagne: Krug, Roederer, Pommery and Charles Heidsieck as a few examples, have their cellars here. It has a long and interesting history, being very important in the later Roman Empire and there are several monuments still in evidence dating back to that era, including a Triumphal Arch, the Forum and the stone quarries or ‘crayères’ which are still used as cellars by many Champagne Houses. The 13th century Cathedral has wonderful gargoyles and statues including “the Smiling Angel” and fine stained glass including windows by Marc Chagall. The early Frankish Kings were all crowned here and the Kings of France continued this tradition.

These few days will be packed with fun and, of course, there will be the opportunity to stock your boot up with on some superlative Champagne at great value!

Make your way to Reims (either with your car or via taxi) for our first visit and tasting at Champagne Veuve Clicquot. Alternatively you can opt to stay in the village of Aÿ, where the hotel is, to walk straight out into the vineyards of Champagne and explore the small village before the festival begins this afternoon and the rest of the party joins us for a tasting at Champagne Goutorbe.

Champagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin has its cellars in Reims. The Widow Clicquot is one of the most celebrated women in the wine trade due to her great success in creating the worldwide renowned brand for her Champagnes – the orange label. We will be shown round the stunning chalk cellars of Veuve Clicquot which cover 12 hectares with the majority of the chalk ‘crayères’ dating back to the Gallo-Roman times.

After our visit you will have time to explore Reims and choose a café table to sit at and people watch while you enjoy some local food and a glass of champagne, perhaps!

Champagne Henri Goutorbe

This afternoon, after time for a leisurely lunch break, you’ll taste in Grand Cru Village of Aÿ, where we are based and where we continue to the festival afterwards. We have an appointment first at Champagne Goutorbe and then you are free to wonder around the village tasting at all the houses which are open, which normally includes the great House of Bollinger.

Champagne Henri Goutorbe in Aÿ has been known to us since 1988, when the winemaker René Goutorbe came on our Champagne makers tour to California. This leading grower producer won the prestigious award from the French wine and gourmet guides Gault Millau “Vigneron of the Year 1996” (which is not just confined to Champagne wine-makers) and has continued to thrive.

The Ay Champagne Festival

The greatest of all the Champagne villages celebrates once again with this bi-annual event, known locally as the ‘Fête d’Henri IV’. Henri IV was one of the most popular French kings (1589-1610). He showed great care for the welfare of his subjects and helped to guarantee religious liberties to the Protestants, thereby effectively ending the civil war.

Nearer the date, when the list has been finalised by the village, we will send confirmed participants details of who is offering meals and what they are offering, so that you can make up your mind in advance which option to choose (no need to pre-book just turn up on the night). The houses may charge a tasting fee for champagnes tasted.

Next Morning – Relaxed Departure Time

As you may well have had a relatively late night at the Festival, we do not rush you this morning. We’ll pick you up late morning to take you to your lunchtime appointment, so that you have time for a swim in the hotel’s indoor pool this morning or a stroll, or simply a lie-in! We head for another Grand Cru village for lunch, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.

Champagne Launois

An old, established Grower Champagne that has been marketed since 1872. Benoit Bonnerave is from the Marguet-Bonnerave family and is one of Champagne’s very characterful personalities. Launois own a large number of vineyards in the Côte des Blancs and produce mainly Blanc de Blancs champagnes. We enjoy a tasting over lunch with Champagne Launois.

After lunch we travel back to Aÿ for a non-included dinner this evening, either in the village or again you can choose to travel in to nearby Reims. Next morning check out of the hotel at your leisure.

If you would prefer a fully escorted wine tour to visit the Aÿ Festival, please see our Aÿ Festival by coach which includes all travel elements and an exclusive Arblaster & Clarke private introductory tasting on the first evening.