"Remember gentlemen, it's not just France we are fighting for, it's Champagne!" was a rallying cry of Winston Churchill during World War II. Today, this blend of the pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes continues to rally troops, albeit of the gastronomic sort.

Imagine you own a champagne house. You want to enter the 1889 L'Exposition Universelle (World Fair) in Paris commemorating the centenary of the start of the French Revolution. What could you possibly come up with to amaze, astound and astonish? A one-storey high, 20-tonne, intricately carved Hungarian oak barrel of champagne, perhaps?

It seemed like a good idea to Eugene Mercier, founder of Mercier Champagne House in the heart of France's champagne region. He spent years having it built but that was not the hard part. Once completed, he had to transport it to Paris, 80 kilometres away.

On the journey two bridges collapsed under the weight, and one other required major repairs. After damage done to the roads at the beginning of the journey, Eugene Mercier decided to cut back on the expense by dragging it along country tracks. When finally he reached Paris, he had to buy five houses that he subsequently demolished in order to make way for the 215,000-bottle foudre (tun).

All his effort did not go to waste as Mercier's giant champagne barrel was awarded second prize at the Exposition. Can you imagine what was awarded first prize? The Eiffel Tower, no less.

Mercier's foudre - giant vat

The foudre is still on display in the Mercier Champagne House, situated on the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. This avenue is home to a multitude of champagne houses, Moet Chandon among them.

Your tour at Mercier starts with a short introductory film, followed by a ride in a panoramic lift. Then the real fun begins as you board a laser-guided train for a trip through the cellars, listening to live commentary along the way. The 18 kilometres of cellars beneath Mercier hold around 18 million bottles of champagne that, put end to end, would quite comfortably reach Tokyo from Epernay.

The cellars, reaching 30 metres underground, are hewn of chalk, a key ingredient in the successful production of champagne. Yearly, Epernay averages 10° Celsius with 210 days of rainfall, but the chalk saves the day by absorbing the rain due to its porosity, and by providing precise levels of humidity for both the cellars and the vines. When needed, the vines also draw up by osmosis the water retained in the chalk.

Chugging around the cellars there is more to see than just the myriad bottles. Look out for Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry, foot-stomping, grape-crushing babes and a scantily clad femme fatale who caused outrage in Paris society. Unfortunately, their forms are lifeless, having been carved from chalk and marble, so no chance of a tête-à-tête.

Our sommelier pouring the champers

The fun does not stop when the train ride ends. Next it's tasting time. You may choose to have just one, but for only a few extra euros, you can enjoy three different tastings: a vintage, a limited vintage, and a semi-sweet rose. This will assist you when gathering spoils in the shop on your way out.

For a day trip, board the train at Paris's Gare de l'Est, and you will be there in a mere hour and a quarter. For all you aficionados, neighbouring Reims, just 25 kilometres away, is replete with more champagne houses including Pommery, Taittinger and Mumm. So linger longer until you feel champagne seeping from your pores.

Eugene Mercier established his champagne house in 1858 at the extraordinary young age of 20. He set about bringing champagne to the people as previously it had been confined to the aristocracy. Publicity stunts abounded, the foudre being just one.

He regularly took clientele up in a hot air balloon over his vineyard and offered them a glass of his finest champagne. Notably, back in 1875, he was the first to invite people in for cellar tours.

"Eugene was very keen to open up the drink to a much wider public than had been the case. Apart from anything else, I think he realised just how much money was to be made from producing it at a commercial level," said James, our tour guide.

Now visualize being the grandson of the great Eugene. You have a reputation to uphold. What is the grandest stunt you could pull?

Following in the fine footsteps of his grandfather, Jacques Mercier teamed up with the French car manufacturer, Renault, to organise a rally. A large part of the race took place right inside the cellars.

"Can you imagine two cars trying to overtake each other in one of these galleries? And driven by Frenchmen at that? It's a bit of a mystery they all got round in one piece and without breaking a single bottle," said James. Here's cheers to that.

Additional Information

Champagne Mercier
68 Avenue de Champagne
51333 Epernay, Cedex, France
Telephone: 03 26 51 2222
Website: www.champagne-mercier.com

Opening Times
9.30 - 11.30 and 14.00 - 16.30
April to November open every day
December to mid-March - closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Annual closing is 22 December to 10 January

Cost
€6 per adult
€3 per child (12-15 years)
Children under 12 free
€12 for three comparative three tastings
€14 for three comparative tastings including two vintages
€28 for champagne/food combinations

Getting There
Take the A4 from Paris until exit 21: Epernay Fismes Dormans, turn on to the D980 of the D23 and then the N3

Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our Europe Insiders page.