G.H. Mumm — Attraction in Reims

I enjoyed the visit, history lesson and learning about the process of making champagne. You are dreaming, if you think I am going to write a review while on holiday or when I get straight back from holiday.

In ancient times the Greeks said, "Nothing endures but change." Success in life is measured by the ability to anticipate change. In the photo is a statue of Dionysus the Greek the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine.

This word ‘entrepreneur’ ...is a French word, very French, which the Anglo-Saxons stole from us,” said French President Macron jokingly to a laughing audience who hopes to bring back capitalism to France. The Brits might soon have the last laugh, by stealing your thunder in wine making too!

'Veuve' means widow in French and has lent its name to a variety of champagne brands in honour of the "women entrepreneurs". Experts say that Champagne was one of the first industries in the modern world that women shaped and in which they enjoyed a prominent role.

The designation Brut (dry) champagne was actually invented in response to requests from the British monarch Queen Victoria for variations of what had been a cloying ( excessively sweet) drink. Brut was demanded by the British which helped revolutionized the champagne industry.

Before champagne was very sugary, sometimes 250-300 grams per liter, it was like jam or marmalade,' said Thierry Gasco, cellar head at Vranken-Pommery.

Europe had a "Little Ice Age" which was a period of regionally cold conditions between roughly AD 1300 and 1850. Before the Little Ice Age , Europe thrived on its wine-making. Vineyards were plush and grapes were plentiful. For the most part, the beverage of choice was wine. Vineyards all over Europe, everywhere, started to fail and growing grapes became impossible due to the "Little Ice Age". As a result of the wine devastation, grains were substituted to brew beer and it became the most popular drink of choice.

As the 18th century drew to a close, two decades of poor cereal harvests, drought, cattle disease and skyrocketing bread prices had kindled unrest among peasants and the urban poor in France. Tensions erupted into the French Revolution of 1789, which some historians have connected to the Little Ice Age.

Global warming is starting to play a big part in agriculture, it is expected that warmer weather will result in better quality English grapes. While Champagne is in danger of becoming too hot while England could soon hit the ‘sweet spot’. England use to grow wine before the "Little Ice Age".

The prestigious French champagne brand Taittinger is hoping to capitalise on Britain’s wine boom after planting its first vines on English soil.

Taittinger has chosen a vineyard near the Kent village of Chilham as the site for its venture into English sparkling wine, with the first bottle due to be drunk in 2023!

Champagne is seen as a barometer of global consumer confidence, sales are a good indicator of whether shoppers are buying luxury or premium goods. In 2007, Champagne sales hit an all-time record of 338.7 million bottles on the eve of the global financial crisis .

There is a natural finite annual limit for champagne of around 350 million bottles. Good news. France’s Champagne region, laid down in 1927’s Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée law, are about to be extended. A further 40 villages will be included from 2018 to 2020. This will increase the amount of Champagne that can...

Everyone we met at G.H. Mumm were friendly and professional, from the gatekeeper who welcomed us when we arrived early and helped us park, through to the receptionist who booked us in and opened an area for us to wait in and of course our brilliant guide.

The tour is the same, regardless of which “level” of package you choose, the difference is in the champagnes you get to taste at the end. Our tour guide was hospitable, knowledgeable with a good sense of humour, happy to answer questions from the group.

You start the tour in a grand building, before going underground to the cellars.

The guide was very informative, taking you through both the history of G.H. Mumm, the champagne making process and how it has evolved over time, whilst you are walking through the cellars and seeing it for yourself.

Personally I really enjoyed seeing all the machinery and innovations that Mumm has invested in over the years at the end of our walk through the tunnels.

We had booked the Grand Cru experience, purely because we booked late and all the cheaper packages were sold out. But we were glad we did, since we got to taste a selection of the reserved vintage champagnes after our tour, which were fabulous. All in all I’d highly recommend a visit...

So it began, the trip to a land where sparkling wine is not just made, but born. I could just feel the energy. We were ready for a sparkling adventure, and the G.H. Mumm crew did not disappoint. The staff were absolute rockstars so welcoming and energetic, it felt like they were just as excited to show us around as we were to be there.

Our journey took us deep underground into a massive, cave-like cellar. The air was cool and a bit moody, which was perfect because it felt like we were on a secret mission to find treasure. Our tour guide was fantastic, turning what could have been a stuffy lecture into a fascinating story about how the magic happens. We learned all about the bottles resting upside down and how they get a little spin every day—talk about a detailed process! It was seriously cool to see the hard work that goes into every single bottle.

And then, the moment we were all waiting for: the tasting! It was the perfect grand finale, a reward for our educational trek. Getting to taste that perfectly chilled sparkling wine was the best possible way to end the day. It was a fantastic mix of learning something new and enjoying a great...