The Côte des Bar is a lesser-known part of Champagne well to the south of the better-known Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte de Blancs. The Champagne Wine Village Les Riceys (10 Aube, Grand Est) is in fact three former fortified villages: Riceys-Haut, Ricey-Haute-Rive and Ricey-Bas, which together form the largest wine village in Champagne! And to go with its three villages, there are three wine appellations: Champagne, Coteaux Champenois (still wines), and Rosé des Riceys! Rosé des Riceys is a still rosé wine made from Pinot Noir grapes. The wine is quite distinctive and can be a little tannic and a deep hue in colour – it is not often found outside the region and this area is quieter than other parts of Champagne.
Les Riceys is a pretty village in the south of the Champagne region, bordering on Burgundy! (It lies 170km/106 miles south of Reims).The Côte Des Bar’s claim to fame was due to its Pinot Noir grapes which tend to be lighter and fresher in style than those grown further north.Amongst the better known Champagne houses in the Cote des Bar are Champagne Devaux and Champagne Alexandre Bonnet
The main town of the region is Bar-sur-Aube (48km/30 miles north west), whilst the major centre and capital; of the département is Troyes about 48km/30 miles north with its half-timbered houses amd Cathedral.
The village offers a variety of holiday accommodation including the 3* hotel Le Marius in the heart of the village, the self-catering Villa de Jeanne and B&B La poupée Bru
for more info and to check availability at this Champagne hotel see Le Marius
Holiday accommodation in the Champagne Wine Village of Les Riceys see Les Riceys
airport: Paris CDG(145 miles/230 km)
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Tourist info see www.aube-champagne.com
Les Riceys produce a much appreciated rosé wine and the village enjoyed relative wealth as witnessed nowadays with its magnificent churches and its beautiful stone houses.
Because it was quite isolated, the area was one of the first ones to see its population move to more urban districts and lost a lot of its importance, especially after the vineyards were infested with grape phylloxera at the end of the 19th century. Vine-growing started on the hillsides and vineyards now spread over 2,086 acres of land which make it the largest wine-growing area in the Champagne region. This outcome came at a price as the wine-growers’ revolt proved it in 1911 which ended with the integration of wines from the Aube department to the protected designation area of Champagne in 1927. (Champagne Alexandre Bonnet)
