Exploring the Champagne Cellars -- Many of the champagne cellars of Reims extend for miles through chalky deposits. During the German siege of 1914 and throughout the war, people lived and even published a daily paper in them. The cellars are open year-round, but are most interesting during the fall grape harvest. After that, the wine is fermented in vats in the caves and then bottled with a small amount of sugar and natural yeast. The yeast feeds on the sugar and causes a second fermentation that produces those fabulous bubbles. The winegrowers wait until the sparkle has "taken" before they move the bottles to racks or pulpits. For about 3 months, remueurs (migrant workers) turn them every day, which brings the impurities (dead yeast cells and other matter) toward the cork. Eventually the sediments are removed and the wine is given its proper dosage (sugar dissolved in wine), depending on the desired sweetness. The process takes 4 or 5 years and takes place in caves that are 30m (98 ft.) deep, where the temperature is a constant 50°F (10°C).
