VEUVE CLICQUOT HOUSES

A strange dialogue may sometimes be heard between the architectural designs of the different vineyards. The region of Bordeaux has imposing châteaux and local color — purple or wine-tinted — and likes to boast of being leader of the pack, managing and controlling matters. Then there's Burgundy, or in the south the Côtes du Rhône region, where homes are 'bourgeois' but discreet, secluded, devoted to their cause. Nothing more than basic essentials can be seen; anything concealed behind the scenes is personal heritage. In Tuscany the castello style is set against subtle shades of green, with olive trees, pines and bay trees endowing the slopes with charm and elegance, casting a distant, composed gaze down from the vantage point as a thousand fragrances blend with the scent of the vines.

But what of the region of Champagne, with two fascinating sides to its personality? The fields are home to vines forming a panoramic green mosaic, giving the region its character, mystery and genius. Moving on, the city fades, noises are muted, and even the houses seem to tread softly so as not to disturb the work on the land, nor compromise the wine, nor disfigure the landscape. Remember that champagne is everywhere in this region, alive, in everything that moves and sparkles.