The Champagne region in France is mercifully only three or four hours' driving from Calais, and the scenery is stunning en route, even if you are driving along an autoroute.

We've now spent a couple of weekends there at the end of August, and I can highly recommend it. There's such a variety of champagne house to experience and enjoy, from the cellars at Moet et Chandon in the capital of Champagne, Epernay, to the more industrial Nicolas Feuillatte, just outside it. Then there are the smaller champagne houses, tucked away in pretty villages, some of which offer accommodation. We stayed at the champagne house of Guy Charbaut and enjoyed his champagne immensely.

You don't need to know your Pinot Noir from your Chardonnay to enjoy the heady experience of champagne, nor do you need to fear feeling ignorant that you haven't got a clue as to which is which. Everyone is friendly, and only keen that you enjoy their champagne and take home a bottle or two of passion for the stuff. There's something for everyone, of all tastes, from the sweet roses to the drier blancs, and then of course the wonderful afternoon tea shops and patisseries - far from good for the waistline, but who cares? It's all so beautifully presented that it slides down your mind and to your stomach before you even notice, and anyway, the cakes are deliciously light.

Go and have a weekend of delicious bubbles and sparkles; you'll return home feeling very much lighter in spirit, and if your head feels remotely woolly, tell yourself its because of all the sheep you've been seeing; the area is renown for its sheep and wool production, so if you're feeling a little woolly in the head, that's probably why!

Learn more about this author, Sally Longson.
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