A test that will reinvent your holidays in France

Whether you prune early or late, be sure to prune during the month of March! And there’s no reason at all why this saying, so familiar to amateur gardeners everywhere, shouldn’t apply to vines. In any case, that’s what Nadine and Eric Lévèque at La Maison Lévèque-Dehan think. This family has been making wine for five generations in Barzy-sur-Marne, so we can assume that they know a thing or two when it comes to pruning. It was with the aim of sharing this expertise that the Lévèques opened their micro-plot of land with an educational objective for wine enthusiasts thirsty for knowledge. In Cordon, Guyot and the Marne Valley, you will learn some vital nuggets of information about the essential activity that is the production cycle. It’s common knowledge that you’re at ease when it comes to raising a glass to your lips… but we’re curious to have the chance to marvel at how you handle a pair of secateurs. The whole exercise, it goes without saying, is rounded off with a dégustation of the estate’s Pinot Meuniers, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.

Info and reservations

Situated in Reuilly Sauvigny, 30 minutes to the west of Epernay, and noted for its fine cuisine, which is both creative and seasonal: pan-fried Langoustines in vine stock, for instance, or lièvre à la royale. The setting is plush and elegant with antique pink beams and wall upholstery fabrics. There’s a veranda, too, overlooking the slopes of the Marne Valley.

In Essômes-sur-Marne on the Champagne wines tourist trail, with three bedrooms and two suites in an imposing, Napoleonic-style mansion. All rooms boast views of the park, over the Marne and the hills of Champagne. There is an indoor pool, champagne bar and traditional French restaurant — in fact, the Château de la Marjolaine is perfect for an overnight stay.

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