How to cruise the canals of Champagne in style
Known for its opulent trains, Belmond also has a luxurious barge available for private charter in France.
My car door opens to a familiar sound in the French region of Champagne. No, not corks popping: rain. Travelling just two hours by car from Paris has taken me from early spring to early winter, or at least that’s how it feels arriving for a grey morning tour of Ruinart’s vineyards. My guide, Ruinart ambassador Morgan Delcampe, apologises for the dreary weather. Not that he need worry. If there is one way to cheer up a dull day, it’s by opening a bottle of champagne, and Morgan has a few of Ruinart’s best waiting.
Although I have my feet on dry land, of sorts, I am here to set sail aboard Coquelicot, Belmond’s newly refurbished barge and only boat in Champagne. Available exclusively for private charter, Coquelicot takes guests on a leisurely meander through the region’s canals with a private guide, chef, two hostesses and, bien sur, a well-stocked bar. Itineraries can be adapted, depending on where the canals flow, but there are usually three to choose from, sailing between Epernay and Sillery. Stops cover Champagne’s most famous sites, including the Avenue de Champagne, the tomb of Dom Perignon at Hautvillers Abbey, and the region’s UNESCO-protected crayeres, or chalk cellars, at Veuve Clicquot.
My night on board starts with a tour of Ruinart’s oldest vineyards in Taissy. Usually closed to the public, Ruinart invites only its most VIP guests, and Coquelicot’s, to wander among its 40ha of historic vineyards, which were acquired in 1732 shortly after the house was founded in 1729. After an introduction to the vines and Ruinart’s sustainability practices, guests enjoy a tasting for a complete grape-to-glass experience. Amid the drizzle, the vines are knobbly and bare, although a closer look shows a few are sporting the first green buds of spring, known as bud burst. All seasons have their charm in Champagne and you don’t need the sun as an excuse to pop open the bubbles. In fact, Morgan uses the inclement weather as a reason to pour an extra glass for today’s tasting to compensate for not taking a longer and sunnier wander through the vines.
To continue the Ruinart experience, guests are driven back to Coquelicot for a five-course lunch cooked on board by the maison’s head chef, Valery Radou, and complemented by some of the house’s most exclusive champagnes.
I am full of questions on the 20-minute drive over, having never spent a night on a boat. Knowing the sumptuous quarters of Belmond’s famed train carriages hark back to the golden age of travel, I have high expectations.
Pulling up, I spot the crew standing above deck on what I soon find out is a deceptively large narrowboat. The shiny and new white and red facade hides elegant interiors by design agency Humbert & Poyet, which drew inspiration from the region’s natural beauty to create what Belmond describes as a “floating villa”. It certainly does have a pied-a-terre feel; the only constant reminder that you’re on a boat rather than in an elegant apartment is the vessel’s gentle movement and the staff’s nautical striped uniforms. Not surprisingly, the three guestrooms are on the small side but they feel cosy rather than cramped, and oh-so-chic, dressed with classic neutrals, bespoke artworks adorning wood-panelled walls. Space has been prioritised for huge beds, and any usual hotel amenities are kept to a minimum; you’ll find cut-glass carafes of water but no minibar or coffee machine. If travelling in a family group, Mum or Dad will likely pull rank for the master bedroom, which is the only one with a gleaming stand-alone copper tub in the marble-edged ensuite. If travelling with friends, you’ll have to fight it out, but either way everyone gets a comfortably sized rain shower and covetable Diptyque toiletries.
A narrow corridor handpainted with textured stylised poppies, a reference to the boat’s name (coquelicot means poppy) leads to the salon, which also serves as bar and dining room. Creamy hues, layers of rich wood and a green coffee table made entirely in Raku ceramics by designer Lea Zeroil create a graceful setting and nod to the seasonal shades of the nearby vineyards. Crowning it all is the piece de resistance, a stained-glass skylight crafted by Bruno Loire using a technique dating back to the Middle Ages. It makes the space feel larger still.
I am happy to be snugly settled below deck, the rain pattering on the windows; it’s an invitation to fully embrace the concept of slow travel. Come summer, guests will head above deck to enjoy a glass of le champagne while cruising around la Champagne, followed by al fresco dinners as the sun sets. For evening entertainment, there is notably no television. Instead, the boat is stocked with old-fashioned board games and puzzles, or you could easily imagine that a bottle of champagne might fuel some parlour games. The point of the trip is not only to travel slowly but sociably; this is the place to catch up and reconnect, preferably over a vintage bottle.
In the know
Coquelicot, A Belmond Boat, Champagne is available for six-night private charters between Epernay and Sillery from €75,000 ($124,000). Includes all meals, return transfers from Paris, guided visits, bikes and Ruinart experiences.
Nicola Leigh Stewart was a guest of Belmond.
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