Les Molyneux

Let’s say you have always wanted to visit Champagne, but you don’t know much about the area. That’s potentially problematic, because the producers are spread out all over the place, and Champagne’s a rural place. On top of that, let’s say you don’t speak French all that well –that makes it tough to make appointments with the folks making the champagne, right? And maybe on top of that, you know that there are 5000 producers in Champagne, but you only know of a few, and could really use some recommendations, especially when it comes to the increasingly popular «grower champagnes.» So, you need somebody who: 1) speaks French and English, and is glad to make appointments for you with champagne houses; 2) is enthusiastic about and has expertise in the region and the bubbly; 3) has connections and contacts in the area, and is willing to use those connections on your behalf. While you’re at it, ideally you’d be in clean, quiet, friendly lodging with dining options, close to the major cities Reims and Epernay, but at the same time close to the growers and their Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards. Free WiFi would be good too, right?
Sounds impossible, right? Well, this is just par for the course with Jiles & Yvonne Halling, the husband and wife team that own and run Les Molyneux. Jiles is a retired former Brand Manager for Moet et Chandon. He has written a couple of great books on champagne, and what he doesn’t know about champagne isn’t worth knowing… but he shares this knowledge in a self-​effacing, endearingly humble way without the slightest pretension. Yvonne is a perfect hostess; genuinely warm, sincere and friendly while being thoroughly meticulous and organized at the same time. Together, they are your dream team in Champagne.
This is a B&B, so you don’t have the same amenities as a hotel –no TV, no spa… but the B&B has been lovingly restored and the rooms are spacious, clean, comfortable and charming. At any rate, the Hallings themselves are the amenity. Chat with Jiles about Champagne. Let Yvonne cook for you and share information about the villages with you. Put yourself in their hands and let them put together a perfect itinerary for you in Champagne. If you’re a wine geek like me, it might just be the trip of a lifetime for you.