Gourmet products local specialties and wines Champagne-Ardenne

Founded in 1930, Champagne Ployez-Jacquemart is an extremely rigorous and demanding family estate. The owners cultivate their vineyards on Premier and Grand Cru terroirs. Abroad, the wines are distributed in no less than 14 countries! The range is rich. Our winning trio: Extra Brut Passion, Extra Brut Vintage 2008 Blanc de Blancs and Liesse d'Harbonville 2000... 5 guest rooms of the highest quality have also been created.

The Marneese's favourite chocolate maker... is Emmanuel Briet. After having worked with great Parisian pastry chefs, Emmanuel Briet opened his chocolate factory in Epernay. A showcase shop from which you can see the chef officer in his workshop in the back shop, where he elaborates his creations from 17 cocoa crus and carefully selected ingredients, from Sicilian pistachios to Piedmont hazelnuts, Valencia almonds, Lebanese orange blossom and products from Madame Izrael for her chocolates with 5 peppers and spices.

The "prise de mousse" is the stage when the still wine turns into sparkling wine, but it's also how you'll feel when you enter this little jewel in the heart of Rilly-la-Montagne. Prise de Mousse showcases the champagnes of La Montagne de Reims winemakers, accompanied by tapas and platters of foie gras, Reims ham, burrata, carpaccio, spreads... to complete the tasting experience. On the table, you'll enjoy comfort food, from roast camembert with honey and thyme to croque and gratin dauphinois with truffles, not forgetting the gourmet desserts. And on Sundays, it's all-you-can-eat brunch with a glass of champagne.

At Nicolas Petit, being a butcher is not only a know-how, it is also a passion. On his stand, this great specialist in mature meat offers you a wide variety of meats from responsible and organic farms. Simmental, aubrac, blonde from Galicia, salt, there is something for everyone. Nicolas Petit's secret to offering his customers tender and tasty meat lies in the art of maturing, which he masters to perfection. For 40 to 65 days, the meat rests on the bone in a refrigerated display in front of customers curious to see the spectacle of maturation, a long process that will give the meat an incomparable tenderness and flavour.

The Cellier Saint-Pierre is a reference in terms of good wines. Located opposite the cathedral, whose square has been redone, the cellar offers a choice of over 500 references. The Champagne region is well represented with great houses as well as harvesters-manipulators from the Aube region, then the offer opens up to other regions, with stronger and international spirits such as a range of Japanese whiskies. But it is not a simple wine shop, since the renovation of the adjacent buildings in noble materials. Superb buildings that also house exhibitions from time to time.

This microbrewery from Sparnacus offers a beautiful range of artisanal beers on lees, neither filtered nor pasteurized. At the top of the list is the permanent range with six creations brewed in Épernay, the classic blonde and amber beers, the refreshing white ginger, the hoppy IPA, the Porter smoked with beech wood and the American Tripel inspired by abbey beers. Add to that seasonal creations such as the Amoureuse mango-passion or the Avanie, sour raspberry and lime, and many others that are sure to be tasted in the taproom: wines, champagnes, rillettes, boards to share and other artisanal local products.

In Aline's shop, you will find as much good advice as good products: delicious cheeses from the ripener Philippe Olivier, unusual and sulphite-free wines, champagnes from biodynamic agriculture, a special box for discovering local winegrowers, but also pâtés, jams, spices, honeys and preserves... enough to satisfy every palate! As well as good food, it is also good to sit down to taste Aline's latest favourites. The ideal place to have a drink, accompanied by a nice plate of cheese and cold meats.

Come and taste an authentic and scoundrel cuisine, catered version, to take away or to taste on the spot. On the slate, grandma's recipes, good traditional dishes simmered for a long time in their casserole. At lunchtime, even if you don't have time to sit down, you can opt for a takeaway. You can choose between "planches canailles", "pâtés en croûte", "quenelles de veau à lyonnaise", "cuisses de cannette braisée", without forgetting the "delikatisseries": cheesecakes, tarts, rémois... comforting classics as we like them.

A new page has been turned for the emblematic wood-fired oven, which has been replaced by Boulangerie Pauline. While the establishment has kept the famous oven that made its reputation, the windows now showcase Pauline Arrigault's magnificent pastry creations in an invitingly gourmet setting. From seasonal fruit tarts to pavlova and tiramisu rémois, each dessert is a real jewel, just waiting to be savored. As for the bakery, her husband Anthony, a baker from grandfather to grandson, takes care of the breads. You'll find timeless sourdough breads and new creations that go wonderfully well with home-made jam.

Stéphane Lothaire, master chocolatier from Reims (specializing in macaroons) unveils his finest chocolate creations! You'll also be tempted by the specialities of Reims and the Champagne region, all dressed in pink: the famous Biscuit Rose Maison, available in dragées, sablés, tuiles and Goûters de Reims. And don't forget the Marché des Gourmandises, an area 100% dedicated to the sweet pleasures of our childhood: fondants, caramels, fruit jellies, marshmallows, candy canes... How can you resist? And always Kusmi Tea and Comptoir Français du Thé.

In Coulomnes-la-Montagne, come and discover the winery, presses and cellars of Maison Ponson, "Creators of Champagne for 5 generations". Proud of his heritage, Maxime Ponson now runs the estate, which is run using sustainable viticulture methods. The 13.5-hectare vineyard, spread over 5 Premier Cru villages, is planted on clay-limestone soils, giving its exceptional champagnes a unique character. Our favorite is Cuvée Rosé des Gentes Dames, an exquisite champagne with a delicious candy-pink color!

In the heart of the halls of the Hotel de Ville, Le Petit Charlot unveils his impressive fish outlet: bars, loche, mullet, trout, salmon, turbot, soles, black places, cod… With three arrivals per week, every right of Rungis and a notoriety dating back to 1965, this fish has a well-established situation in Troyes. Be sure to also find lobsters, crayfish and other crustaceans, sold cooked or alive, all right out of their aquarium that seduce the smallest. The Petit Charlot is also a catering area with the production of seafood trays, delivered without supplement to the residents of Troyes and its town and now hot dishes… You can also find them on other markets, especially in Nogent or Bar-sur-Seine.

We sit down around the table to get to know this family business and its vineyard, which is 100% located in Sézanne, i.e. 13 hectares. In the range, let's mention "La cuvée fût de chêne" (oak barrel vintage) with a dominant pinot noir (70%), associated with 30% of chardonnay, a champagne which benefits from four years of ageing (3 years of which 1 year in oak barrel), ideal as an aperitif or with a fricassee of scallops with butter... The visit is free for individuals but it is by appointment only so remember to call before coming to the domain.

Established since 1985 in Villenauxe-la-Grande, Frédéric Torchet has been marketing his vintages since 2000. At his place, the press can be visited, the champagne can be tasted and the profession can be discovered during the visit that he imagined with Élise. Delight for the senses, the tasting of their wines allows to discover the specificities of their favorite soil. Their 2013 vintage, their Blanc de Noirs des Riceys and their Blanc de Blancs offer us a taste of happiness.

This centenary cheese factory no longer has to prove its worth! It produces a very tasty emmental to raw milk. Of course, it has modernized and has lost some poetry, but it shows full transparency. In addition to the emmental, fresh cream and other cheeses, including the langres, fall. The shop also has a large time range, which is significant.

The tasting cellar of J.-M. Gobillard et Fils is a convivial place to taste the production of the house. There is no tour of the winery but explanations on the know-how and the champagnes. Only the first pressed wines, or cuvées, are selected by Thierry Gobillard, oenologist. This family business exploits 25 hectares of vines essentially located in the first growth of Hautvillers, and completes with purchases of grapes from local producers.

The Lefèvre family vineyard is located in Oger on the western slopes of Épernay. Didier Lefèvre offers a beautiful range of wines for tasting, starting with his Brut BDB Grand Cru Millésime. An elegant blend of the best white Chardonnay grapes that gives this wine a fruity and very fine taste particularly appreciated with appetizers. The Brut Tradition is a wine of delicate suppleness. With its refined pink hue, the Brut Rosé (84% Chardonnay and 16% Pinot Noir) is a wine with charming curves. We love it!

Winegrowers for 12 generations, Jean-Pierre and Christine Lacourte have taken over the reins of the winery where all the stages of champagne production are carried out. Thanks to their heritage and family know-how, they take particular care in the elaboration of their wines. At their place, the stirring is still done by hand on desks, a guarantee of quality and naturalness. Their range is composed of 9 champagnes: brut, demi-sec, rosé and the cuvée Pierre et Henri, a 100% chardonnay, a tribute to the founders of the house.