Cadoles are vineyard huts, once built by vine-growers close to their vineyard plots. They used these low dry stone buildings to protect themselves from bad weather, to eat and to rest. Phylloxera came along, the vines had to be dug out, the vineyard areas decreased, so that most 'cadoles' are now located on the edge or in the middle of the woods, which spread after the digging out of sick or dead vines.

A hike starting from the village of Courteron, south of Bar-sur-Seine, allows you to see many of these cute and moving little buildings.

Troyes claims to be the 'capital of Champagne': look at the city map and you will see that it is indeed shaped like a champagne cork! If you like old stones and beautiful houses, you will enjoy spending some time in Troyes, as it offers the largest concentration of timbered houses in France. The oldest one, called 'the house of the Dauphin', dates from the beginning of the 16th century. Strolling through the streets of the city is therefore a real pleasure, as each street corner offers architectural treasures.

Beside the traditional sparkling wines of AOC Champagne, a trip to the Côte des Bar will allow you to taste two more confidential and therefore lesser-known AOCs.

AOC Coteaux champenois mainly produces red wines, with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, but also small volumes of white and rosé wines. This AOC is also found in the other wine-making departments of the Champagne region. It is not produced every year by the vine-growers who, in the event of low yields, prefer to produce Champagne. Have you have ever heard of the village of Bouzy? Its name can be written on the label and it is surely the most famous producing village when it comes to AOC Coteaux champenois.

Finally, the Côte des Bar is the region where AOC Rosé des Riceys is produced: this very colorful rosé is made exclusively with Pinot Noir. What a delight when it is well made! As its name suggests, it is produced in a  village called Les Riceys, which is actually a group of 3 former villages: Ricey Haut, Ricey Bas and Le Magny, hence the plural form of its name. It is the only wine-growing village in Champagne to produce all 3 appellations of the region. Wandering through the 3 parts of the village will allow you to visit a castle and discover opulent Champagne wineries as well as more simple and old winegrowers' houses.

NB: I did not have the opportunity to go and taste at a winegrower's during my stay in the Côte des Bar. I did not intend to bring back Champagne and I am always reluctant when it comes to going and tasting at a winegrower's and only buying one or two bottles. So for the few bottles I brought back for my tastings with wine clubs, I went to various wine shops. Be aware that many wineries charge for their wine tastings, that are sometimes quite expensive. If you want to taste Rosé des Riceys and the other AOCs produced in the village, the Caveau des Riceys, located near the market hall, organises wine tastings almost every day, from 10 am to 8 pm or 10 pm.

The region's must-try! Many restaurants have it on their menus. Andouillette is a sausage made with pork tripes cut into long strips and seasoned with salt, pepper and spices. It has to be grilled and is served warm. The best is 5A or AAAAA andouillette. These letters refer to the 'Association Amicale des Amateurs d’Andouillettes Authentiques' (the Friendly Association of Amateurs of Authentic Andouillettes), created in the late 1960s. Andouillette de Troyes does not benefit from any AOC or IGP, so these letters indicate that during a blind tasting, the sausage has been considered to be of superior quality.

I ate this local sausage at the restaurant Les Tonnelles in Bar-sur-Seine, where it was served with a chaource sauce, broad beans and forest mushrooms: it was a treat! To wash it all down, we drank a red Coteaux champenois from Domaine Bauser. With its aromas of cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant, its  light and fine tannins, the pairing was perfect!

After lunch, a bucolic stroll along the Seine allowed us to discover another aspect of this river, picturesque and confidential (see photos below).