Great Champagne an hour and a half from our depot

I knew that the southernmost tip of The Champagne region is at Les Riceys, not far from our depot but I had no idea there were 288 Champagne producers in this small commune alone!

A motorhome is the best way to tour The Champagne Region

I also did not know the Champagne would be as good as that produced in the more famous areas around Epernay and Reims but I am happy to report it is.

We were heading back to the depot from a weekend in The Jura last week and had a night to spare so headed to Les Riceys to taste Champagne and stop for the night. We decided to take advantage of the excellent France Passion scheme and stay at a Champagne maker in the town.

Pascal Walczak and his family offer a warm welcome, a delightful Champagne tasting and a free place to stay in a motorhome

Pascal Walczak made us very welcome at his Champagne house and is only too happy to explain the production process and offer a tour of his facility as well as an extensive tasting. He provides a pleasant grass area on site for “France Passion” members to spend the night in their motorhomes with access to electricity and water so is an obvious choice for a tasting if you are touring in a motorhome.

Don’t expect a romantic location but do expect a warm welcome from a passionate Champagne maker, an easy walk into a pretty town and some excellent Champagnes ranging from just €15.90 to €21.00 per bottle. Pascal and family produce more than the three wines pictured here but these were our favourites.

A trio of Pascal Walczak Champagnes in Les Riceys from 15.90 euros per bottle

If you are bulk buying for a wedding or big event, look no further than this for great value Champagne or you could always set about visiting and tasting the other 288 Champagnes in this town – sounds like a good excuse to hire a motorhome for a week and go no further than Les Riceys to me!