Our planned hunt for an open Champagne house in Mareuil-sur-Ay to taste and buy sparkling wine was unsuccessful. As we had feared many of the tasting rooms in the village were closed during the vendange or grape harvest. And those that were open were fully booked. After a brief fruitless search, we gave up and moved Wanderlust the short distance down the reach to the next famous Champagne-producing village on our route, the commune of Ay. (Ay or Aÿ is pronounced with two syllables.)
We were hopeful that the greater abundance of houses in Ay would make it more likely we’d find one that was open to visitors during the harvest. But that did not turn out to be the case. Once again most of the places we tried were closed to visitors for the vendage. In the end we scored a few bottles after a courtesy tasting at a producer that we had purchased wine from before. Thus, after pleasant return visit lunch on Rôtisserie Henri IV’s terrace, we returned to Wanderlust with our cart mostly empty.
It was time to head on down the canal. Moving off of the bank in Aÿ, we headed to our next destination, Épernay. Go big or go home, as they say: If we couldn’t find Champagne to taste and buy in Épernay we had no hope. Épernay may or may not be the capitol of Champagne wine; Reims also holds a claim to the title. Nevertheless, it certainly ranks as a capitol of Champagne wine tourism.
To reach Épernay we needed to transit the last two locks on the canal latéral à la Marne and move Wanderlust out onto the River Marne. To reach Paris we would need to head down stream on the river. But for moment, we turned Wanderlust sharply to port and headed a mile and a half upriver to Épernay.
Usually, we’ve found little current on the Marne this time of the year. But after a rainy summer, the river had a noticeable 2 to 3 kilometer per hour flow. The current was noticeable but not enough to present a navigation challenge. In fact, the flow made it easier to ferry to the bank to tie up when it was time. But the healthy late season flow was a sign that 2021 in France had been a very different year climatically than what we had become accustomed to. The unfortunately reliable summer droughts of recent years did not happen in 2021. Indeed, it was the opposite. Though the extra water was good for cruisers, the season’s heavy rain had adversely impacted the wine grapes. Consequentially, 2021 is not expected to be a vintage year for Champagne.
Wanderlust first visited in Épernay in 2014. During that visit we staked to the bank just below the bridge across the Marne near the large Carrefour supermarché. The port de plaisance a bit further upstream was full at the time. Mooring below the bridge was a bit tricky. It was a challenge to find a slot for a 20-meter barge between the barely-visible large submerged boulders. At the shore, there are no bollards or any other good way to secure a heavy boat. Even hammering in mooring pins is difficult as they had to go in between the holes of the honeycombed landscaping material used to stabilize the slope. But when there’s a will there’s a way, and in 2014 we were able to sufficiently secure Wanderlust below the bridge.
Against this background we figured we’d try the port this time and had called ahead to the friendly capitaine. The port was empty, we were told. Thus, Wanderlust continued past the Carrefour under the bridge upstream until we reached Société Nautique Épernay’s port. At the very least the port had the advantage over the bank in that there was water and power, albeit with anemic 6 Amp electrical service.
Another seeming advantage to the port was its location just 200 meters as a crow flies from the UNESCO World Heritage designated Avenue du Champagne, Épernay’s “Champs-Élysées du Champagne”. The Avenue is the location of numerous Champagne houses, including famous Perrier-Jouët and Moët & Chandon. The accumulation of maisons de Champagne on this street in Épernay makes it one of the best locations to taste and buy in the entire Champagne region, at least if price is not a factor.
Approaching Epernay, Champagne de Castellane’s tower comes into view. Though it looks like it should have been associated with the nearby train station, it is a purpose built water tower meant to advertise the brand. 
Wanderlust is at the port in Epernay. 
The humble side of the Avenue du Champagne 
Château Perrier, home of the Musée du vin de Champagne et d’Archéologie régionale 
Champagne de Venoge 
Time for a little taste 
The “I Dream of Jeannie” bottle is cool, but very inconvenient! 
Epernay’s market was idyllic when we visited. 
Epernay and it’s church, Église Notre-Dame 
Inside Église Notre-Dame
Getting to the Avenue du Champagne turned out to be more complicated than we figured. Though on the map the Avenue du Champagne is physically much closer to the port than to the spot below the bridge, there’s a complication. In between the port and the Avenue are railroad tracks. With no bridge or underpass, we had to walk the half-kilometer back to the bridge. Though the Champagne seemed closer at the port, staying there actually added kilometer of walking roundtrip. The extra distance is not a big issue on foot, as long as you aren’t carrying a bunch of bottles or trying to stock up a boat with supplies. But since we were planning on doing both, it was more problematic. All things being equal, we’ll likely stake up below the bridge the next time we visit.
As expected, we were indeed far more successful in Épernay in finding places to taste and buy sparkling wine. Along the Avenue du Champagne are numerous maisons de Champagne oriented towards tourists. These houses seemed immune to the demands of the busy vendange going on nearby. If there were trucks carrying grapes in from the fields they were coming in the back way; we didn’t see them on the Avenue du Champagne. The street was still busy, but with tourists and not with tractor-trailers.
For the first time since we returned to France this year we encountered a predominance of American tourists, which wasn’t for us a good thing. Loud American voices seriously dilute the feel of being in France. But undoubtedly the businesses in Épernay appreciated in the influx of American cash and after a dry period during the pandemic they needed tourist money. We couldn’t really complain. And it’s good to see things get back to something that approximates normal. We just hoped it would last
—————–
Log:
Between Mareuil-sur-Ay and Epernay Wanderlust traveled 13 kilometers. She passed through 2 locks and her engine ran for 2.7 hours.
Canalplan.co.uk does not acknowledge the existence of the port in Epernay, or the navigable Marne above the junction with its lateral canal. The location of the port is marked on this map by the red yacht.
The mooring fees at the Société Nautique Épernay are on the high side, which undoubtedly discourages many from staying there.
Wanderlust 
Pingback: The Marne: Dormans (2021) | Wanderlust