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Wine Country Par Excellence
Champagne!A burst of bubbles and flavour in medieval vaults lit by flickering candles… The southern Aisne, where 10% of French champagne is produced, is one of the best places to learn about wine-making.
Passing by a wooden lagar, we head through a heavy door and descend 30 metres below ground, to the heart of the hill. The temperature drops, the humidity is palpable.
Low lighting reveals a walkway leading into medieval quarries stretching over a mile on two levels, dug in the time of King Philip II.
‘Try not to lose sight of me’, teases our guide at the Maison Pannier, founded in Dizy in the early 20th century but now located in the home town of poet Jean de la Fontaine, Château-Thierry, just a few hectometres from the Pannier vineyards.