Gatinois + Champagne Corks- 09.23.09
Ok on aspects of this trip that i shamelessy geeked out on… did you know that’s how champagne corks start? Before they get mushroomed? And the machine that mushroomifies them and puts the cage on is really cool? (Cool enough i had to make a video to share with you of course!) Also, there was definitely a warm fuzzy feeling that overcame me as Veuve Clicquot brought us to visit a tiny (relatively speaking!) grand cru champagne maker ~ Gatinois, a family-run business located in Aÿ since 1696, at the foot of the Montagne de Reims. While they have been selling half their crop to neighbor, Bollinger, they are producing more and more of their own label. It was infectious how passionate Pierre Cheval-Gatinois was as he shared his company’s story and history and process with us (his son is starting to step in as the 12th generation!)… perhaps the biggest contrast was visiting his cellars compared to les creyeres of Veuve Clicquot… the shift in scale was amazing, and you must check out the exposed wires running the lighting (to fry yourself, just reach up and grab one in each hand)… Oh, and also, the amber blush tone of the champagne is gorgeous and it is extremely delicious… but unfortunately it they don’t have a distributor in LA! Anyhow, on the next page you can see lots of pics, and the video of how the corks transform to magically to the mushrooms we associate with champagne!
Firstly, here’s the video!
The little door leading down into the cellar…
How intense is that lighting system? They even have T shaped pieces with the light bulb at the base of the T you can simply hang across the wires to turn on…
Here is the container where they quickly open and expel the sediment that is in the tip…
And a few closer looks at what the corking guy does…
LOVE playing with the pile of cages as well as the corked before they go into the machine… i had no idea they started so large!
These comparisons of before and after just blow my mind… i can’t stop playing with them too!
Jean, what a wonderfully intimate view of Gatinois. Thank you! If I ever try it I’ll have to wonder if you were there when it was corked and labeled.
----- Danica 23.09.09 12:51