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Champagne Pannier, Château-Thierry | |
| Located in the Marne Valley, this champagne house has a long history. | ||
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Champagne Pannier is located in Château-Thierry, in the Marne Valley at the western edge of the Champagne region. It is about 96 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Paris and 58 kilometers (36 miles) west of Épernay (map). It is easily reachable by train from Paris and could be visited on a day trip. When we arrived in Château-Thierry we were initially a bit surprised to see vineyards surrounding the town, since we thought of "Champagne" as farther east. Although Reims and Épernay are considered the "capitals" of Champagne and are are home to many of the big name champagne producers, there are many fine houses in the Marne Valley. If your travels take you to this area, perhaps exploring World War I sites such as Belleau Wood or the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial, you can expand your trip by adding a champagne visit. Champagne Pannier, which also includes Champagne Jacquart, gives interesting tours of their caves and facilities. Fablio City Bus 2 will take you right to the door (the Champagne stop). The visit walks you through a part of the two kilometers of medieval cellars, most of which were quarried in the 12th century. You'll walk by bottles and bottles of champagne as your guide explains the history of the house, the process for making champagne, and what makes Pannier unique.
At one point in the visit you will see where a long-ago stone cutter carved an outline of an archer with a bow and arrow. Champagne Pannier chose this carving to inspire its motto, "Aim for Perfection." The archer represents balance, mastery, and dexterity. Champagne Pannier uses the traditional champagne grape mix of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier, and prides itself on its "exceptional mastery" of pinot meunier. Like many champagne houses, Champagne Pannier has developed a variety of champagnes to suit various settings and types of food. They even have a couple of red champagnes, quite unusual, that they recommend for drinking with meats. Their champagnes include Classics, Vintages, Velours, and Égérie. The Velours include both a rosé and a rubis, with the latter containing 56% pinot noir and other red wines. We tasted this and found it both unusual and enjoyable. The Egérie collection includes a Rosé de Saignée that has 80% pinot noir. It was fascinating to discover these red champagnes! In 2018 the house completed a restoration of the cellars. According to their web site, "Our wine bottles were reinstalled in their exceptional setting and therefore have regained their initial calm under the protective eye of our Archer." To arrange a visit, you can complete a request on the Champagne Pannier website. English visits are at 2:00 PM, though other options may be available. For an idea of some other champagne visits, check our pages on visits to Canard-Duchêne, Mercier, Möet et Chandon, and Taittinger. And for more information on champagne and what makes it unique, check out our page All About Champagne Wines. Champagne Pannier
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Above, A display of different size bottles of champagne at Champagne Pannier.
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