After leaving the crowded areas of Germany Bob and Tania decided to visit Belgium and France.  They only stayed in Belgium briefly and then took trains to the Champagne Region of France.  After a brief stop in the capitol of the region - Rheims, they traveled by car throughout the Marne River region learning all about how to make Champagne.

Fortunately for them they were able to pick up a map from the Tourist Office in Rheims and spent the week driving along the clearly sign-posted "Champagne Tourist Route". This route meanders throughout the region and you can pause to enjoy the work going on in the vineyards or stop at a wine grower's property or a champagne house and learn the secrets of the cuvées, the art of blending the wines using different crus, grape varieties and years.

 Bob and Tania happened to stumble onto the first day of "Vendage" or the harvesting of the grapes.  It is a very tedious process and requires skill, knowledge and a good back!  In the chalk filled hill surrounding Bouzy, there were kilometers of vines all designated of ownership by small monuments.  Tania had to take a picture of one of her favorites.

   Tractors and farm equipment were everywhere.  After picking the tubs are brought to a trailer where upon they are then sent to the champagne house for pressing, fermentation, secondary fermentation or bottle fermentation, shaking, turning, disgorging, until the final moment or la dégustation "the tasting" arrives - a true "FÊTE" (Celebration).

 Bob and Tania found a small family-owned Champagne house near the Marne River in Condé-Sur-Marne.  The Potié family took them under their wing (they probably could have worked the vines if needed...ha!) and were treated to a first hand example of how Champagne is created...

 Here is the where all the "magic" begins.  The Potiés have 4000 kg press which is fairly new.  Here is what is left of the grapes after pressing.  Some houses take and sell this to other houses for creation of other liquors.  Other houses send this "crush" off to create fertilizers for the vines.

This is the "grape juice" that is first pumped into the stainless steel tanks for first fermentations.  Jocelyne Potié gave them a taste of the very sweet juice.

  After being pumped into the tanks the "juice" ferments for several months, then more sugar and other wines are added (all according to the regulations ) and then is bottled and sent to the famous white chalk cellars of the region, where they are marked, and turned over their lifetime until the top is "popped" and a bit more sugar is added to create the "effervescence" of Champagne.  A very lengthy and hands-on process.