Cave Exploration

Jan 29

Driving down narrow roads we frequently saw sign after sign pointing to “caves.” The French word for cellar is “cave." One morning, we decided to go cave exploring.

Maison Ackerman is the oldest sparkling wine house in the Loire Valley with famously deep troglodyte caves…. perfect for a dreary, rainy January morning. The caverns in this region were hollowed out over centuries to excavate rock to build the many chateaus. The Ackerman caverns extend down into the limestone rock, with tall open vents. Their exhibit detailed the brand history, production technology over time, the interesting period of “Champagne” v. “sparkling wine” dispute, all while balancing retention of a high-quality product at an accessible price point.

The Ackerman caverns are equally known for their art exhibits. The gentle transition between Ackerman history and art caverns was a reminder that the passion and dedication to wine making and product pride also extends to passions using our other senses. The smell and the sheer wonder at the continuous depth and height of the caverns remained while the art installations slowly unfolded. It grew brighter and lighter as we neared the tasting room.

We were treated to effervescent wines both complexly dry or sweet, still wine paired wonderfully with rich chocolate. Suzanne was a knowledgeable and attentive guest associate who cleverly brought together our tasting experience with the education from the cave. She listened to our preferences and directed our tasting accordingly.

Nothing brave about this morning, only awe with France and how young my world is in comparison. The wine caves in Napa and Sonoma smell similar but that is where the comparison stops. Come walk with us….