I first met Maggie Harrison, the founder of Antica Terra in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, when I was in Portland for a shoot. I’d stopped into Spartan, my friend Currie’s design shop, and posted a photo in my IG Stories. The next thing I knew, my daughter and I found ourselves invited to a lunch in Maggie’s winery, seated around the most well styled but equally unpretentious table filled with interesting women.
That was 7 years ago, but it remains one of my favorite lunches of all time. Even if we only met in person once, when I saw a huge profile on Maggie in the NYT, I felt so proud to know her. Everything she does is honest, authentic, cool, and overdelivers. My kind of person.
Since meeting Maggie, she has gone on to launch Yes Society—a private membership for wine collectors. It started during wine tastings at Antica Terra, when she’d pour other wines she was excited about. Members would ask if she could save a few of her favorite bottles for them, and then during the pandemic, it blew up. Yes Society is a part of Antica Terra, but it’s not their wines—it’s their curation of rare and extraordinary bottles, and their relationships with small vintners, many of whom would have no access to an importer. Yes Society also has a hotline that members can call, with questions from “What wine should I serve with cacio e pepe?” to “What should the lineup be for a party of 16?” They get a ton of travel-related questions, too, so this is where we’re jumping into the pool together.
To kick it off, we’re publishing a Dispatch from their awesome Wine Director, Tynan Pierce, whose obsessive curiosity brought him to the Champagne region of France for a few days of driving around and visiting small local producers. It’s a guide wrapped in a love letter to this somewhat misunderstood region, and the beauty of drinking something perfect in the place it was born. —Yolanda
P.S. Lucky us! Yes Society is offering Yolo subscribers six-month access to their Armonía Membership (a $250 value), which allows you to purchase wine via their private marketplace and from their limited offerings, as well as personalized sommelier services for individualized sourcing and guidance. You can click through to find out more here, and be sure to use the code YOLOYES at checkout.
Springtime in Champagne sounds like it could be a jazz album. And indeed, having just returned from the region, I find myself replaying the trip over and over in my mind, as one does a great record. I spent a week this past April exploring the Champagne wine region, about 90 miles northeast of Paris, hoping to discover new vinous treasure for our Yes Society members.
Spring has long been a time of gathering here, when growers and producers share their new wines, celebrate the season, and look forward to the next harvest. There are numerous events, tastings, parties, and opportunities to explore. Most of the visitors are trade professionals, but there are also some early tourists…the smart ones. I heartily recommend it to those looking to avoid the summer crowds and enjoy the explosion of color from all the blooming flowers, vines and trees.
Champagne is a term that is often misused to refer to all wines that sparkle. However, for a wine to truly be Champagne, it must come from this region and follow a specific set of production methods. A still wine is made and then bottled with a mixture of yeast, wine and sugar that sets off a second fermentation in the bottle (“liqueur de tirage”). Because this fermentation is happening in a closed bottle, the gas that is created is absorbed by the wine, creating bubbles in the process. After the wine has rested in the cellar of the producer—for a minimum of 15 months—it is carefully opened, expelling the remnants of the fermentation process. Lastly, it is topped up with a mixture of wine and/or sugar (the “dosage”) and closed by cork, now ready for sale (and enjoyment!).
Champagne has a long and storied history in the world of wine. Historians have found records of vines dating back to Roman times. As early as the 5th century, kings were coronated at the cathedral in Reims and the subsequent celebrations were toasted with local still wine. The idea of creating a wine that sparkled can be traced back as early as the late 1600s. Visiting today, you can feel the palpable energy between the importance of that history and the desire to look to the future. The new generations are exploring new ways to make wines, pushing quality in the cellar and the vineyards. The need to be creative and thoughtful is paramount, given the mounting pressure of climate change.
This is an area made famous by large houses and marquee names; think Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Roederer, Cristal, Bollinger, et al. And those places are easy to visit and explore. However, our focus at Yes Society, and therefore my trip, was the grower producers: those families that historically sold their crops to the large houses before slowly taking grapes into their own cellars and crafting wines from their own parcels that express the uniqueness of their villages and terroirs. Those that want to make great wine that just happens to also be Champagne.
Getting to Champagne from Paris is easy by train, making it a lovely choice for a weekend or even a day trip from the capital. The high-speed TGV rail from CDG airport to Strasbourg stops at Champagne-Ardenne and takes only 30 minutes. Here you can arrange a rental car, which will be an absolute necessity for visiting producers around the villages. Uber will not be your friend here…in the city of Reims, sure—but many producers are scattered across the small villages, so having a car will make it all much easier. (As always when wine tasting, a designated driver is essential!)
I usually suggest 2-3 visits per day. Much more than that and it becomes rushed and feels like work! You’re not here to work. Wineries can be quite spread out, so organizing your tastings by village (the local term for area or region) will be helpful to reduce back-and-forth trips. Because of the timing of some appointments, I wound up doing some extra driving, so I’m sharing an itinerary in an ideal order.
Day 1
Reims is the perfect place to start—a short drive away after a flight or a train ride. Walking around the city, there are a few sites that you can enjoy via a morning or evening stroll to take a break from the bubbles and “pate en croute” (a French charcuterie popular in the region). Reims has its own Notre-Dame cathedral and Abbey of Saint-Remi, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Art Deco buildings downtown represent the rebuilding era post WWI, with many great examples of 1920s-1930s architecture to appreciate. For lunch, Le Bocal is a great option for seafood—both cooked and raw—or A Bon Manger for those who prefer foie gras, cured meats/fish and local cheeses. You can follow this with a tasting at Club Trésors de Champagne, otherwise known as “The Special Club.” Founded by a group of like-minded, quality-committed grower producers who share a space in Reims, here you can book a tasting to enjoy selections from some 24 different producers. Book a master class for a wonderful overview of style, region, variety, and terroir that the various producers showcase, curated by one of their sommeliers. In the evening, perhaps stop for dinner at casual and fun Au Cul de Poule, known for its wide range of steak tartare—we ordered the classique, the vin jaune, the truffle and the tomato confit to share, along with a round of fun (and very reasonably priced) bottles off their list. I always recommend drinking wines at dinner from the places you will not be visiting, perhaps a bottle of champagne Fred Savart, les Mont Benoit, a nice Chablis from Domaine Pattes Loup, and a bottle of Bourgogne rouge from the culty Prieure Roch. If fine dining is more your speed, you have a selection of Michelin restaurants to choose from: three-star Assiette Champenoise, two-star Racine and one-star Le Millénaire. As always in France, reservations are highly encouraged. For lunch and dinner, the good places book out fast.
To round out the night, I had a drink at the aptly named Le Wine Bar, known for its amazing wine list, one of the finest in all of Champagne. It’s a great late-night hang out, and don’t be surprised if you see local winemakers here. The space is modest inside, but the energy is great, as the party spills out onto the sidewalk patio, where you can enjoy the mingling of passersby, traveling wine lovers, and locals. With over 500 selections from Champagne and beyond, you’ll definitely find some treasures.
Day 2
A morning in Reims, or really any place I stay in France, starts with a hunt for pastries. Reims has lovely options throughout the city. I eyed some close to my hotel, and Boulangerie Les Halles was a lovely spot for my morning snack. This is a grab-and-go situation, as I like to enjoy my coffee and pastry as I stroll around the city as it wakes. But they also have outside seating for those looking to linger. I went with the chocolate praline croissant and bagged a few other snacks for my travelling companions to enjoy in the car during the day’s drive south.
Leaving the city of Reims, we headed south into the hills of Champagne. The first stop: Gaston Chiquet. Now overseen by the 8th generation, this storied family planted their inaugural vines in the early 1700s and was the first amongst their peers, in 1919, to move from selling grapes to larger houses to keeping their grapes and making their own wines. Here we got to enjoy examples that are primarily blended across the three noble varieties of Champagne, namely chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. The new Chiquet tasting room is quite modern, and right next to the historic cellars that you may be able to talk your way into a tour of. Gaston Chiquet is also a founding member of le Club Trésors de Champagne (the aforementioned “Special Club”). The wines are classic and refined. A perfect first visit to set the tone.
Gaston Chiquet
Owner: Nicolas and Marion Chiquet
Region: Grand Valée de la Marne
Address: 912 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 51530 Dizy, France
Visits: Tasting hours 8:30am -noon, 2pm – 5:30pm. Appointment advisable – call ahead – +33 3 26 55 22 02
From here, make a lunch stop in Epernay. Smaller than Reims but larger than the other villages, you can find a range of restaurants here. The classic choice is La Grillade Gourmande. Order escargot, wood-grilled fish, or beef, and you’ll understand why this place is always recommended by vintners, locals, and tourists alike.
Now take a short drive over to one of my new favorites, Maison Gamet. As we approached the winery, drooping apple trees greeted us with their blossoms and the vegetable and herb gardens lined the path up to the modest and relaxed farmhouse-style tasting room. Marianne, the 4th generation of the family, assisted by her brother Jean-François, is now at the helm. Here, they focus more on the red varieties of champagne, pinot noir and pinot meunier, with only a small amount of chardonnay. The wines are generous, charming and full of character. One of only four producers in Champagne also making cider, you must ask for a sip from this brand-new project. Outstanding, delicious and dangerously quaffable.
Maison Gamet
Owner: Marianne Gamet
Region: Grand Valée de la Marne
Address: 12 Rue Pasteur, 51530 Mardeuil, France
Visits: By Appointment only
*A note on Champagne as a wine. Most of us think of Champagne as a clear or softly golden sparkling beverage. And while this is true, of the three main grapes cultivated in the region, only one of them is a white grape: chardonnay. The other two main grapes are the red varieties of pinot noir and the lesser-known pinot meunier. By picking these red grapes and placing them in very shallow pick bins to prevent crushing them and then pressing them very gently, the juice does not pick up any of the color from the skins, thus allowing the vignerons to make blanc de noirs, or white wine from red grapes.
Now back to the visits…
If you’re up for another visit before settling in Vertus, René Geoffroy is a wonderful choice—the family has been farming and making wine for almost 400 years. The wines are cerebral and evolving, driven by experimentation and curiosity. The quality is very high, and both the wines and the spirit of the winemakers are palpable. The winery is in quite an old building, and tastings are held in a well-appointed historic room that feels very old-world French and charming—think pale green-detailed wallpaper, a chandelier, wooden hutch with pottery and wine glasses in the corner. In the cool weather of our visit, the wood stove warmed the space as we sipped and learned about the numerous projects being explored at this winery.
René Geoffroy
Owner: Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy
Region: Grand Vallée de la Marne
Address: Champagne, 4 Rue Jeanson, 51160 Ay, France
Visits: By appointment only
We spent the night in the small village of Vertus. Very different from the bustling streets of Reims, with a population of just under 2,000 this is a quiet respite for the traveling champagne lover. We checked into our B&B, Le Clos Margot, run by Champagne Doyard, and discovered an old wood-beamed, two-story building tucked away into a courtyard. The exterior exudes village charm, while the five rooms are tasteful, modern and cozy. It’s a modest and tasteful stay, offering a lovely petite déjeuner in the morning dining area, with fresh jams, yogurts, cheeses, meats, coffee and juices. Bonus points for its location, which is walking distance to the quaint downtown.
Dinner at L’Entrevue is an enjoyable 10-minute walk from the hotel. Tucked into a historic square, they have a nicely priced wine list to go with a selection of local meats and cheeses. We really enjoyed croquettes, steak frites, some white burgundy and a lovely little cab franc. La P’tite Marotte is also a nice casual option for dinner with pizza, raclette and terrines alongside local beers on draft.
Day 3
Again…a morning walk for pastries and to get a sense of the local scenery. I strolled through the misty morning streets of quiet Vertus up to the farm end of town, where the vineyards were climbing up the hillside towards the forest. A longer walk is possible up into the forest for those who prefer a morning hike to a stroll. The center of town is full of flowers and small gardens. I found Aux Plaisirs Gourmands, where I enjoyed a wonderful pain au chocolat and pain au raisins. In fact, I again grabbed a bag full of assorted baked goodies to share with my traveling companions…always a good move to be the one with the treats in the morning.
Chardonnay was the focus as we headed to J.L. Vergnon, where they craft Grand Cru chardonnay wines. Inside a small courtyard, we enjoyed our tasting at the old farmhouse table in their modest tasting room. Just across the courtyard are their historic cellars—ask if they have time to show you, and you’ll be rewarded with a trip down old stone staircases to admire their collection of old bottles. The range of wines showcases the verve of the village and the house style of freshness—vibrancy merged with a lovely bitter backend that makes these wines very energetic to drink.
J.L. Vergnon
Owners: Dider and Clement Vergnon
Region: Côte des Blancs
Address: 1 Gr Grande Rue, 51190 Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France
Visits: By appointment only
Even if it weren’t within a 2-minute walk from the last stop, I would highly recommend a visit to Girard-Bonnet, a new and very exciting project. Paul’s energy is infectious, and you can feel it in the wines. Chardonnay is the sole focus here, and with it a deep commitment to healthy farming and amazing vineyard parcels. He’s leading the way in the village with biodynamic farming for all of his plots. There’s lots of experimentation in the cellar, leading to curious and creative wines that are easy to enjoy. He is gradually expanding his winery—if you have time, tour the building. You will see a wide variety of fermentation and aging vessels as he pushes to find techniques that will deliver the most compelling final wines. One to watch!
Girard-Bonnet
Owner: Paul Girard
Region: Côte des Blancs
Address: 2 Rue Persault Maheu, 51190 Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France
Visits: By appointment only
Then it’s on to one of the classics of the grower producers in the region, Pierre Gimonnet. Here, chardonnay also reigns supreme. The wines are fresh, focused, and lifted. A founding member of the le Club Trésors de Champagne, Gimonnet is committed to improving its benchmark for quality every year. The tasting room is housed in a historic building right next to the winery, with a view overlooking some of their chardonnay plantings right in Cuis. With high ceilings, photos of the past generations of winemakers, and maps of their various parcels, you can settle onto the couch for a lovely tasting. They make a wide range of wines from different villages and different styles. A highly educational and enlightening tasting that showcases the range of chardonnay and what it can deliver, from differentiated soils, elevations, vine age, and winemaking style. Truly eye opening. They have some amazing cellars just a short walk up the road, and if you ask ahead of time, they may just walk you down to a historic collection of wines in their 12th-century caves.
Pierre Gimonnet
Owner: Didier and Oliver Gimonnet
Region: Côte des Blancs
Address: 1 Rue de la République, 51530 Cuis, France
Visits: Tasting hours 9am -noon, 2pm – 5:30pm. Appointment advisable – call ahead – +33 3 26 59 78 70
Before heading back to Vertus, I would recommend a stop at La Gare for dinner. A casual spot with honest and good food housed in a former train station. The wine list is an excellent array of growers and houses; the still white wines page is small but formidably great.
Day 4
After a light breakfast at the B&B, we headed off to visit Famille Moussé. Here in Cuisles, the focus is pinot meunier. The winery is a project in and of itself that demonstrates winemaker Cédric Moussé’s commitment to sustainability, as it produces more energy than it needs. Flowers and plants explode from the terraces, and demi-johns of dessert wine line the roof and walls. The wines highlight the amazing farming in the vineyards (be sure to say hello to the pigs and chickens) and the range of expressions meunier can produce. Plan ahead: ask for lunch, as they have a chef on staff and the food is wonderful. The tasting room is modern and welcoming with a long curved wooden bar, espresso machine, cork walls and a circular open fireplace where some of the cooking happens.
Famille Moussé
Owner: Cédric Moussé
Region: Vallée de la Marne
Address: 5 Rue de Jonquery, 51700 Cuisles, France
Visits: By appointment only
Then it’s onto one of my long-time personal favorites and Yes Society standby, Vilmart & Cie. We have loved the wines of Vilmart for many years, where they focus on chardonnay and a bit of pinot noir. Standing in the cellar, you can see how small their production really is, as you look down the hall of oak casks where they ferment and age their wines and at the historic basket press—the only press they use. Vilmart wines have that mind-boggling combination of being generous and rich while still feeling bright and fresh.
Vilmart & Cie
Owner: Laurent Champs
Region: Montagne de Reims
Address: 5 Rue des Gravières, 51500 Rilly-la-Montagne, France
Visits: By Appointment only
For our last visit, we made a trip to Pehu Simonet, up a steep hill on a neighborhood street in Verzenay. The tasting takes place in winemaker David Pehu’s home, where his eclectic, artistic tastes are on full display. Art and books adorn the walls surrounding a long table down the center of the room. The winery is just across the street. Having trained in Burgundy, David brings a very non-classical take to the region. Here, single-vineyard, single-vintage, and single-varietal wines are the focus. The wines range from powerful and deep to ethereally elegant. It’s a dynamic flight of wines, and the Coteaux-Champenois (the rare still wines from the region) are not to be missed!
Pehu Simonet
Owner: David Pehu
Region: Montagne de Reims
Address: 7 Rue de la Gare, 51360 Verzenay, France
Visits: By Appointment only
We spent our final night in Reims, before leaving for Paris. In search of traditional French fare, dinner at the gorgeous Chateau Les Crayères was the right move, where they have the more formal Le Parc and the slightly more casual Le Jardin. For those prioritizing an epic wine list, though, The Glue Pot is worth a stop. Long known as one of the best places to drink in Champagne, it attracts locals and tourists alike. Reluctant to let the trip end, I made a quick stop at the champagne-focused wine bar Le Pressoir for a final few tastes from producers who hadn’t made it onto this visit’s itinerary. Alexandre Chaillon and La Rogerie were our choices, stretching the hours just a little longer. Even after a week of tasting more champagne than most people enjoy in a year, my palate never tires of the beauty this region has to offer.
This trip stirred something deep, both in the glass and in the hospitality and workmanship I was privileged to witness. The wines feel more alive than ever—precise, expressive, and grounded in place. But being there, with the rhythms of the table, long lunches beneath draping trees, plates that carried the same care and clarity as the wines, and landscapes that unfolded in generous beauty, drew a line under how I experienced and will remember these bottles. Seeing a new generation of vignerons honor tradition while finding their own voices and aligning with their values was profoundly inspiring. The commitment to sensitive farming, passionate winemaking, and thoughtful hospitality makes this one of the most compelling regions to explore, now and always. I’m already plotting my return.
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