Montagne de Reims
Nothing to do on Saturday. So I went back to one of my favourite wine walks – from Rilly-la-Montagne to Chigny-les-Roses, and then to Ludes, along the Montagne de Reims in Champagne.
Getting off the train at Rilly-la-Montagne, the first thing to notice is the railway tunnel connecting Reims to Epernay. During World War 2, the tunnel was used as a depot for German V1s, jet-propelled missiles, which were the forerunner of modern cruise missiles. The ends of the tunnel were bombed by the English air force to destroy this formidable weapon.
Rilly was badly affected by World War 2. Indeed, souvenirs and memories of both world wars are ever present in Champagne.
Rilly is in fact one of the oldest wine-growing villages in Champagne, as evidenced by the polyptych (multi-panel painting) of the monks of the Abbey of Saint Rémy, on which the village depended. Dating from the 850s, it reveals the presence, in the Carolingian era, of two common presses! Rilly was then called “Riseleius”, derived from “Hrisilo”, the name of an ancient Germanic inhabitant of the village (the Franks having succeeded the Romans after the fall of the empire).
The walk through the vineyards to Chigny-les-Roses is wonderful, with waves of vineyards in all directions.
Along the way I met Herve who was trying to mow the grass between his vines. When I approached him, he was very warm and friendly. He has several small “parcels” of vineyards, at various nearby spots. Indeed, the Montagne de Reims has been marked by the fragmentation of vineyards over time, as deceased estates are split between various family members.
I had always learnt that pinot noir was the principal grape variety used on the Montagne de Reims. As Herve explained to me, all three permitted Champagne grape varieties — Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay — are used along the Montagne de Reims – each one being suitable for different types of soil. Herve is an electrician who works his vines as a sideline.
Arrival at the next village, Chigny-les-Roses, is highlighted by the Saint-Nicolas church, a religious building from the 12th to 16th centuries. The first mention of the village of Chigny is known thanks to a bull of Pope Eugene III in 1145.
After walking through Chigny, there is a small climb up a little hill, and then a delightful jaunt through vineyards before reaching Ludes. The church at Ludes has a magnificent 14th century Virgin with a grape cluster that seems to watch over the village, just like the “Poilu defending his vines”
I then quickly turned around and came back to Chigny to have lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, “Couvert de Vignes”, which was established by Benjamin Gilles. It offers a very creative and inventive modern cuisine, which I have now enjoyed on several occasions.