Visiting Champagne on a Barge Holiday in France

Visiting the Champagne region on your barge holiday in France will take you into a region world-renowned for the quality of the wine it produces. However it’s not just great wine that comes from this region but great food too. The home of Moet & Chandon and numerous other great wine producers is also the home to some wonderful food products.

Cheese

Cheese is often associated with wine and this region produces some great varieties of both. Chaource has been made in the town of Chaource since the early 14th century. It is made from unpasteurised cows’ milk and, when aged, becomes creamy with a slight hint of mushrooms. Another unpasteurised cheese is Langres, which has a smoked bacon aroma. The Langres cheese makers have been producing their cheese in the high plains of Champagne since the 18th century, and they conveniently shape it with a depression in the top so that Champagne or Marc de Champagne can be easily poured into it. One of the most popular French cheeses throughout the world is Brie, and the Champagne-produced Brie de Meaux is one of the finest. It has been made in the area of Meaux since the early 9th century and the tradition continues today.

The Main Course

Travelling around Champagne on your barge holiday in France will soon give you an appetite and there are some wonderful local dishes to help you satisfy it. This region is a meat lover’s paradise, with game products being on most menus. Hearty dishes are readily available and the potee champenoise, similar to a cassoulet, is made from local meat such as lamb or smoked ham, which is then cooked with beans, vegetables and occasionally sausage. You are likely to see a lot of roasted rabbits on menus and, unusually, roast thrush is sometimes served in rich pates or terrines, which are often flavoured with juniper berries. The andouillette Troyes is a good choice for offal fans (it's a tripe sausage), as is boudin blanc, which is a white pudding. Venison and wild boar are also often served as roasts or casseroles. For those who prefer fish, eel and trout are popular fish dishes in the area.

The Sweet Course

The sweet tooths will also be well catered for on a visit to the Champagne region on a barge holiday in France. Due to the region's border with Belgium, you will find vans and shops selling gaufres. These delicious Belgian waffles are served with cream and sugar and sometime with raffolait, which is a milk jam made by boiling sugar and milk. Another sweet treat to try is a Financier, which is a light tea cake made from almond flour and crushed or ground almonds. A speciality from the Reims area is croquignoles, which are pink and yellow biscuits, and you might also want to try massepains, decoratively shaped morsels of marzipan. Meringues are also served in a variety of different dishes.

Wherever your barge holiday in France takes you in the Champagne region you can be assured that your love for food and wine will both be satisfied.

Paul Newman is the Marketing and E-Systems Executive for European Waterways. We can provide you with a luxury, all-inclusive barge holiday in France. Cruises are also offered in Holland, Italy and the UK.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.