Champagne: Magic in a Bottle

To start reading about how this trip was conceptualized and how it all began, click here.

Barring its price, I love everything about champagne. The delicate taste, the perfect balance of sugar and acid, the golden hue, the fineness of the bubbles and its ability to pair with any food imaginable.There's no doubt it's a magical thing.

Fully aware of the care and effort that goes into making a bottle, I included as part of my elaborate itinerary in France a detour to Reims, home of the finest producers of champagne in the world. 

By law, champagne can only be made from three grape varietals - pinot noir, pinot meunière and chardonnay. Though the first two are red grapes, most champagnes have a golden-green hue because only the colorless juice from the flesh is pressed. After an initial fermentation and bottling, the wine undergoes a second fermentation within the bottle. Careful aging for a minimum of 18 months at controlled temperatures and humidity levels and the interaction between the wine and the yeast produces both the delicate flavors and the bubbles which are characteristic of champagne.

Bologna, Modena & Parma: Will Surf For Food

To start reading about how this trip was conceptualized and how it all began, click here.

Perhaps from a culinary point of view, I was most excited about traveling to the region of Emilia Romagna. Or more specifically to Bologna, Modena and Parma. Situated just 50 kilometers from each other, even tourists seldom visit these cities for anything apart from their gastronomic delights.

View of Bologna from Torre degli Asinelli

Bologna is renowned for it's ragu (known to the rest of the world as bolognese sauce) and tortellini; Modena for its balsamic vinegar; and Parma for its parmigiano reggiano and prosciutto di Parma. As a chef who's worked extensively with these products and recipes for years, this was a field trip to food heaven.

Given that I'd relied on hostels and sponsored accommodation until this point, I decided to try something different. Couchsurfing is an online platform that connects 'surfers' like myself who are looking for a couch to sleep on with locals who can spare one.