Eighteen metres (59 feet) below the ground in Reims, France, lie the caves of Taittinger, one of the finest producers of champagne. To make the descent to the caves, you must negotiate this spiral staircase.
The Taittinger caves occupy some of the vaults of the ancient Saint Nicaise Abbey. These stairs are in the old abbey vaults.
In World War I, the caves were used as places of refuge for civilians and Allied soldiers. If you look closely, you can make out the year 1914 in this graffiti carved into the wall.
A pupitre with bottles is visible at the foot of these stairs. The bottles of champagne are placed in the pupitre and rotated so that the sediment collects in the necks.
And this is what it’s all about…
(The first four photos were taken in the caves of Taittinger in May 2005 on a poor quality print camera, and later scanned to digital. The final photo was taken in October 2014: the champagne in the glass is not Taittinger, but the backdrop is a bag from Taittinger; it appeared recently in this post.)
Pics by Kaz 
I am definitely beginning to see some kind of link between you and une certaine champagne, Elizabeth ! 😀
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Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever bought a bottle! An ice bucket, yes (that’s what came in the bag I used as a backdrop). Taittinger happened to have very photogenic caves, the descent into which fit this theme.
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Love the hand on the top of the spiral staircase.
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Thank Denis. I think that gives the shot some context, though in black and white it does look rather ghostly!
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