Pops' Travel Guide, A Heartfelt Thank-You to Domaine Chandon

I have been going to the Domaine Chandon Winery for about 37 years. I started going there for work and was one of their original club members (I still have the card). Back then it wasn't a wine club, it was a Chandon club. Membership got you a special number to call for restaurant reservations and tables were set aside for club members. When you sat down at the table they would bring out a special desert wine called, I think "Panache". I have also been going to the restaurant every year for the 37 years. Membership also got you invited to special events and a monthly newsletter.

I started taking my parents to eat there about the same time for their wedding anniversary in October and got them hooked on the restaurant. My favorite dish was a puff pastry creamy tomato soup with vegetables grown on the grounds. We always made it a point of going on their anniversary every year.

This last October my father had been very ill and he was in and out of the hospital. I didn't know if we would make it to Chandon this year. Up until a week before our reservation he was in the hospital again. He got out and I asked him if he was up to the trip. Mom and dad live about an hour away. He said he definitely wanted to go.  

The day of the trip I went to pick mom and dad up and he was dressed and ready to go. That day he was more alert than he had been in months. You could see from the smile on his face that this really meant a lot to him. It was a beautiful fall day and the grounds are very beautiful with many flowers in bloom.

We arrived and sat down to a nice table inside. We just missed sitting outside by a few weeks as the weather was turning colder. We started with a bottle of Blanc de Noir  and some appetizers. Lunch came out and dad cleaned his plate. When you eat there it is like having your own private waiter for your table. The waiters only have a few tables to worry about so you have their undivided attention. He asked if it was a special occasion and I told him it was their anniversary. We ordered desert and the waiter also brought out a creme brulee. What he didn't know was that is dads favorite desert. Dad had the creme brulee to himself. The waiter also comped our sparkling wine.

This already had been a long day for dad but you could tell he had a fantastic time. For a week after that he talked constantly about how great a time he had that day.

A week later he was back in the hospital but this time he passed away. To have the memory of sharing an experience with my father that we had done for years will stay with me forever. We will continue to go every year with mom and we will make sure to have a toast for dad.

Chandon will always be a special place in our hearts.

Pops