A test that will reinvent your holidays in France

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You heard it hear first: the Champagne region only has eyes for Renoir in 2017. The great Pierre-Auguste Renoir, that is, one of Champagne’s iconic figures, who stayed and painted in the village of Essoyes for several years. The Aube département is pulling out all the stops this year to celebrate the Impressionist painter, with (among other things) the opening of the Renoir House in Essoyes on June 3 and the Un Autre Renoir — “A Different Renoir” — exhibition at the Troyes Musée d’Art Moderne from June 17. The Du Côté des Renoir centre is hosting a somewhat more unusual event (but one that makes perfect sense), combining a selection of the master’s paintings with some of the region’s finest wines: ten works of art to match ten exceptional Champagnes. So, you’ll be able to soak your lips in the Belle Gabrielle produced by the Maison Charles Collin, which has a special resonance with Renoir’s Gabrielle and Jean. Or, to give another example, sip a flute of Rosé Cuvée from the Chassenay d’Arce Champagne that will be twinned with Renoir’s Young Girl With Daisies. Is it all a slightly hare-brained idea? Not at all — in fact, it’s a very serious initiative. A hand-picked tasting committee selected the wines that most closely symbolise the world of Renoir from among ten independent champagne houses in the Aube. This wine-painting matchmaking will also form part of an exhibition at the Centre Culturel Bienaimé in La Chapelle Saint Luc from May 5 to 28.

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This three-star hotel with 24 rooms overlooks Essoyes and enjoys fine views of the village. The hotel has a lounge bar, outdoor pool and restaurant on the ground floor.

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