Swiss Education Group Students Win Sparkling Tour through the Champagne region of France

Lucas Schnetzer Diez started classes at HIM in October of this year. He knew about the Champagne Masterclass early in his studies but had no idea that a prize of this magnitude was ever a possibility for him. He shared, “I feel a bit overwhelmed, but in a positive way, as just weeks after my studies begun I was in Champagne!” SEG sat down with Lucas to learn about his experiences from this unforgettable trip.

The students travelled by train and arrived on a cool November evening to Eparnay, France – the capital of the Champagne region. This quaint town is surrounded by vineyards and home to some of the most iconic brands in the industry including Moët & Chandon, Pol Roger and Perrier-Jouët. Just around the corner from Avenue de Champagne, dubbed the “world’s most drinkable address” by Winston Churchill, the students found their beds at the Hotel de Champagne and quickly dressed for dinner. At La Banque restaurant, the first sips of bubbly were enjoyed in the refurbished vaults of an old bank.

Fancy a Tipple?

The next morning the hospitality students met with The Comité Champagne, a trade organisation established by statute to manage the common interests of the growers and producers in the region. Here they received a short introduction to the region and its famous products and enjoyed the first official tasting on site.

Driven by a chauffeur, the hospitality students then travelled to the Franck Bonville and Philippe Ponnant factories for private tours through the cellars and factories to learn about the champagne creation process from vine to bottle. Lucas revealed that the cellar visits were the highlight of his trip as showings are typically reserved for VIP guests only.

With a degustation following each tour, the students were quickly becoming experts of the luxurious drink. As a special surprise during the second tour, a descendent of Philippe Ponnant joined the students to answer questions and shared anecdotes from the industry over (of course) another glass of champagne.

Champagne Breakfast

The following morning the students were welcomed to the largest factory in Mailly. Located in the heart of the stunning vineyard, the glass-featured building offered exceptional views of the 70 hectares in each direction. The winery is built above seven different levels of cellars and a kilometre-long stretch of chalk caves where the Mailly Grand Cru Champagne is made. Although it was still early in the morning, the students were offered 7 different varieties to taste. Lucus disclosed that this tour was the first time the students made use of the spittoons (spit buckets) in anticipation of the long train journey home.   

The Champagne Masterclass is hosted each year at HIM, IHTTI and SHMS. With limited space available be sure to sign up early for your chance to win an all-inclusive trip to Champagne in November 2015!