The inscription of Champagne did remind me the first time when I visited the city of Reims in 2006. The main reason to visit was to see the famous Cathedral. When I reached the youth hostel, I saw a brochure of champagne cellar tour and really captured my interest. I immediately decided to walk to the champagne house area; on the way I stopped to see the World Heritage Site of former abbey of Saint Remi. After some direction confusing and old record shops browsing, I finally arrived at the front gate of the champagne house of Pommery. In 2006 the name of the house was still just Pommery and opened to public tour with no need of reservation. My first impression on the place was “is this really a champagne house!” since I saw a complex of many types of architecture from medieval castle-liked building, Gothic building with fake turrets and conical roof towers next to very neo classical building. Not only that there was a modern contemporary statue guarding the door. I was not sure that I could consider the place to be bizarre or tasteless or inspiring.

Anyway, I entered into this champagne house and found the sign of ticket booth. There were three types of ticket to choose, cellar tour with one tasting, cellar tour with Grand Cuvee tasting, and just cellar tour. I could not remember the price, but I remembered I chose the cellar tour with one tasting, the Grand Cuvee was a bit too expensive for me in that time. At the lobby there was a very big wooden barrel sculpture depicting another strange art! I followed the guide who only spoke French to the underground cellars which they named them, Caves Pommery. Inside the chalk caves was full of champagne and many arts displaying. I almost forgot all of the guide explanation, but still remember that there was a relief of Bacchus, the god of drinking, and each cave named after European cities like Madrid or the name of the first owner Madam Pommery. The last place before ending the tour was a lock small cave that kept very old and very expensive champagne from many legendary years of production. Then the time of champagne tasting, I was not sure that I liked the taste or not but at the end I bought a pack of four bottles of their new product champagne pop, and quickly back to the city center to buy Biscuit rose de Reims which cellar tour guide recommended to eat with the champagne. So, looking back I really had a good time with champagne and Pommery!

My later experiences with champagne were all happened in Epernay, and I noticed that other champagne houses are also built in grand architecture and full with art objects, so maybe it was a common characteristic of champagne house to have image of luxury or art patron, that sometime too much and tend to be too bizarre, but again no place can compete of bizarreness of Pommery House, in my opinion. For World Heritage Site inscription, I really agreed with ICOMOS, and considered that Champagne nomination is truly justified to be on the listed for its unique characteristic of wine culture and its way to attract customers with image of high-end symbol. Not sure that the inscription may make some customers choose champagne instead of sparkling wine or not since after listed every time drinking champagne, we are drinking World Heritage drink!! Another level of appreciation! Cheers!