Champagne Football with Taittinger…

France is famous for many things and, thanks to the success of its wineries and its football team, two of those are champagne and football.

We recently had the pleasure of combining the two, as the esteemed Champagne Taittinger welcomed Life After Football and friends to their Champagne House in Reims. With the Women’s World Cup in full flow, it was perfect timing for a trip to the gorgeous French city, where we were truly schooled with a guided tour of Saint-Nicaise Abbey, where Taittinger hails from.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzQFabfDdHQ/

18 metres below ground level, we were guided into the Gallo-Roman chalk quarries, which are part of the ‘Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne’ (hillsides, Champagne houses and cellars in Champagne), so beautiful that they are included on UNESCO’s list of Cultural Heritage.

Amazing food was provided by our hosts, along with, of course, plenty of their perfect champagnes. Over the course of the trip, which included guests likes of our very own Regi Blinker and Hedwiges Maduro, it became clear that not many other things bring people together quite like champagne and indeed football.

With that in mind, a champagne-fuelled coach trip took the gang to The Stade Auguste-Delaune to watch the footballing action unfold, with some of the best views in the house in the exclusive boxes. And there was reason to celebrate, as the Dutch Lionesses completed their 100% record in the group stage with victory over Canada.

Since seeing off Japan in the last 16, it seems that will have to keep the rest of the champagne on ice for a little longer – and it has to be Taittinger!