Amazing accommodation in Champagne: Henri Giraud

The Champagne region is plentiful for locations that thoroughly merit being visited and enjoyed. It is quite an expansive wine region of some 34,000 hectares of vineyards, it’s a UNESCO member and has easy access by train and road as well as by plane. For visitors coming from England, it is merely a three and a half hour drive from Calais and from Paris, it is just 90 miles (145km) northeast.

Famous towns for tourism include Reims and Epernay with the likes of Avenue de Champagne, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims and bigger international famous House names such as Mumm, Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot open to receive visitors from the public.

 

As the admiration of Champagne as a wine grows globally and tourism figures increase yearly there is, of course, the need to accommodate them all from convenient cheap hotels to Airbnb rentals.

For those looking for the luxury theme to continue upon arriving in Champagne, you may very well be looking for an experience over a bed for the night. Today there is a trend for new places opening offering a higher standard of stay and importantly with very much Champagne as their theme, in other words, why should you stay just anywhere and not continue with the exhibition and mood of fine Champagnes.

More and more Champagne houses are seeing the importance behind offering visitors a chance to absorb themselves with their brand by taking them on a journey of education, engagement and entertainment. They are looking to give consumers a chance to entrust themselves into a whole new world that is to do with their Champagne label.

 

Manoir Henri Giraud

For many years now the name Henri Giraud is seen as a leading innovative label of Champagne with current owner Claude Giraud very open to both experimentation and sharing these findings with others. Not a brand who wants to keep its secrets hidden, rather one that likes to share success and continue to take things further – As they themselves say ‘Their best wine is always the one they will be making tomorrow‘.

A constant desire to improve and importantly to teach others the way of Henri Giraud, the winery now offers a complete hospitality package thanks to their recently launched Manoir Henri Giraud.

Champagne Henri Giraud is located in what many see as the greatest of all the Champagne Grand Cru villages, Aÿ, which is only a short drive outside of Epernay and is the home of internationally recognised house names such as Bollinger, Deutz and Ayala among may others. A somewhat lazy and relaxing feel to this village despite its high profile, approximately 4,000 inhabitants live there though many, many more will visit. It’s positioning alongside the River Marne and canal and set facing hillsides full of 100% Grand Cru vineyards, mostly Pinot Noir with Chardonnay positioned lower down the slopes, making it a wonderful wine tourism destination.

Where can you stay in Aÿ if you are a fan of Champagne Henri Giraud?

The good news is that just a few footsteps away from the winery itself where the magical wines are made sits Manoir Henri Giraud. A luxury in style and feel guest residence where you can overindulge in all things Henri Giraud from artwork to food pairings.

 

A total of five studio flat style guest suites adorn the property each offering a unique layout yet very similar character and giving guests an almost safe at home feeling when entering.

“The inviting sweep of the staircase companion-ed by feature leaded light windows. A key-less door entry to a studio style bedroom combining bathroom having both bath and shower along with a kitchenette. Attention to detail throughout from heated toilet seats to the artwork, the work of an interior designer for sure focusing on the three main colours of Giraud in yellow, blue and red combined with attention to minor details said to have been given by Claude Giraud himself. Layout gives thoughtful positioning of furniture and convenience extras including air-conditioning, bedside USB chargers, Manoir Henri Giraud embroidered towels and bedsheets and a bottle of Champagne Henri Giraud to be enjoyed either whilst bathing or admiring the vineyard views from the rooftop.”

 

You can also take advantage of an indoor swimming pool, gardens with allocated area for smoking and a room for those wishing to be pampered with offerings of full body massages. If you really wish to immerse yourself more in the region then how about a rub down with chalk from the land where the vines grow along with bathing in chalk whilst being poured a glass of bubbly to sit back and relax to.

The Manoir Henri Giraud is an experience so once there you are invited to take a tour of the winery close by where you will learn more about what goes into making the famous Champagne. Tasting can also be taken and to what depth you which to explore will depend on the package you have booked – We tasted a vertical of the MV vintages which really opens to mind to what is being achieved in aromas and flavours by this winery.

 

Breakfast is included though you can also and we advise that you do, dine at Manoir Henri Giraud by way of unique menus of which each course is paired with their Champagne / wine so to further explore flavours enhanced by involving gastronomy.

“The wines lined up like a world cup winning football team mixed with young and old vintages. The way in which the aromas and flavours played alongside each other with tantalising ease makes you aware of the attention to taste experience that Henri Giraud focuses on, a continued desire to improve with a philosophy being that their best wines are always those which are about to release.“