{"id":2825,"date":"2024-12-03T16:15:27","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T16:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=2825"},"modified":"2024-12-03T16:15:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T16:15:27","slug":"pommery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=2825","title":{"rendered":"Pommery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Of all the Champagne houses we have visited \u2013 and that\u2019s quite a few \u2013 Pommery feels the most Californian.  There is no Napa palace here but the architecture is palatial and it has its roots in the 19th<\/sup> century.  The grounds are enormous and are dotted with artworks.  Pommery has added a large pavilion that shows that the proprietors have recognized that wine tourism is a business that attracts visitors to their brand.  (A word about those proprietors: You may see the estate referred to as Vranken-Pommery.  That\u2019s because a Belgian fellow named Paul Vranken bought it in 2002.)  But the cellars are ancient and the Champagne is the real deal.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The grounds of the Pommery Champagne house, with its \u201cart works\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pommery is located in Reims, in a sector where several other Champagne houses reside, so you can easily walk from one to the other. Be certain to line up your schedule, since all the houses offer tours combined with tastings.  The working property includes a Tudor-style castle and a French ch\u00e2teau.  The pavilion adjoining these buildings contains the entrance to the cellars, a chic restaurant, some exhibits concerning the history of the firm and a Champagne bar.  The most notable exhibit is called the \u00c9mile Gall\u00e9 tun.  A tun is a massive wine barrel; this one holds 75,000 liters.  It was built to be shown at the 1903 World Fair in St. Louis and illustrates the friendship between France and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The pavilion at Pommery, with the \u00c9mile Gall\u00e9 tun at the left and the Champagne bar in the center.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, there are numerous artworks on the grounds although we were not enamored of the particular pieces being shown on our most recent visit.  The dedication to art, both 19th<\/sup> century and contemporary, is carried through in the cellars.  These are reached via a staircase of 116 steps.  (There is an elevator for those who can\u2019t handle the stairs.)  There is a history to the cellars, which were adapted from Gallo-Roman chalk pits.  As the guide explains how Champagne is made and what the various areas in the cellars are used for, much attention is paid to the art installed throughout.  Some of it is contemporary and edgy; others were installed when the cellars were created.<\/p>\n\n\n

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116 steps into the cellars!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the tour is over, you are led back to the pavilion where you can drink some bubbly.  A glass of Champagne is included in the cost of the tour, at various levels of quality and price.  Since each visitor gets only one glass, it\u2019s not really a tasting, but it is possible to buy more glasses at the bar.  There are comfortable seating areas in the pavilion where you can enjoy your drinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a certain sameness to all tours of Champagne houses (or for those of domestic sparkling wineries, for that matter.)\u00a0 All of the other attractions give a visit to Pommery a certain spice not found elsewhere.\u00a0 So does the history of the Maison<\/em>.\u00a0 It was founded in 1836 and, under the management of the founder\u2019s widow, it became one of the world\u2019s largest producers, producing up to a million cases annually today.\u00a0 In the 19th<\/sup> century, all Champagne was intensely sweet, with up to 300 grams of sugar per liter.\u00a0 Madame Pommery invented brut<\/em>, which today must have less than 12 grams per liter.\u00a0 It\u2019s worth raising a glass to her at the winery that bears her name just for that achievement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Of all the Champagne houses we have visited \u2013 and that\u2019s quite a few \u2013 Pommery feels the most Californian.  There is no Napa palace here but the architecture is palatial and it has its roots in the 19th century.  The grounds are enormous and are dotted with artworks.  Pommery has added a large pavilion … Continue reading Pommery<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2825"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2825"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2829,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2825\/revisions\/2829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}