In France, you know that summer has arrived when it’s time for La Soirée Blanche. It is the ultimate VIP evening. I had the chance to go to an event in Ottawa, but it was my dream to go to one of these events in France. Last night, I was lucky enough to have that opportunity with a magical evening at la Soirée Blanche de Reims.
What is a Soirée Blanche? Meaning “white evening”, it was invented and made famous by producer Eddie Barclay. It is a sumptuous evening symbolizing the chic and glamour of Saint-Tropez nights. All guests must wear white (usually long sundresses for women, shirts and slacks or shorts for men). All decorations must also be white. The events are by reservation (or invitation) only and are always hosted outside, usually as a picnic.
Even though this event is celebrated throughout France (and indeed, the world!), Reims is THE place to be. Only about 45 minutes outside of Paris by train, people from all corners of the world try to get tickets to this exclusive event. The grounds of the luxurious five-star Domaine Les Crayères host this party. Multi-Michelin Starred Chef Philippe Mille creates a menu. Champagne flows freely like nowhere else.
This year was particularly special. Not only was it the first Soirée Blanche post covid lockdowns, it was also the 10th anniversary of the Reims event! Around 3500 guests celebrated under the sunshine. A whopping 1700 picnic baskets were distributed (each basket was for 2 people). Thousands of champagne corks were popped.
Lanson was the champagne of choice for this year’s event. It is one of the oldest champagne houses and is located just a few streets away. Every picnic basket received a standard bottle of Black Label Brut, their flagship. Other cuvées and sizes were available for purchase at the champagne bar on the grounds.
I thought that the picnic baskets were absolutely charming. Wooden boxes bearing Les Crayères’ logo contained a gourmet picnic for two, including a white blanket and “outdoor-proof” glasses. Each dish of the four-course menu was carefully placed in lux eco-friendly Le Lu containers. Turned upside down, the basket made a perfect picnic table.
We started off with a little apéro. With bubbly in hand, we crunched on locally made veggie chips from L’artichaut, a store run by Chef Patrice Richard MOF . Carrots, courgette, potatoes, beans, taro, and more were crisped to perfection and carefully salted. I could have eaten bags of these all night!
The meal began with a gorgeous pea velouté. With a hint of mint, it was a bite of fresh air in the 37C heatwave. Little peas and almonds not only decorated the dish; they added texture. A fresh herbed cheese was delicately placed on top. Edible flowers brought colour and delicacy to the dish. It was one of the prettiest things I have ever eaten on a picnic.
I read an interview with Chef Mille about the main course and was particularly interested in trying it. He spoke about how it can be difficult to maintain flavours for cold dishes, especially for things like meat. For this plate, he pressed chicken with a layer of vegetables and terragon. It was served on a bed of Greek style vegetable mikado. It was perfectly light and flavourful.
The cheese dish was a decadent Rocamadour. This creamy goat cheese comes from the southwest of France and has notes of hazelnut. It was served with a dried fruit compote for sweetness and freshly picked arugula for a pleasant bite.
Finally, we ended the meal with a stunning Summer Flower Tart from the famous Maison Caffet. Even though I’m not much of a dessert-eater, this dish stole the show for me. It was a mousse cheesecake made with soured cream of lemon, mint, and basil. The dome was topped with gel and a white chocolate flower bearing the name of the Maison. The flavours were just amazing! And it felt like eating a cloud.
While eating, we were treated to fantastic live music. Matt Gloss & The Emulsions served us a taste of the UK. Blacklight played all sorts of English and French favourites. Admittedly, my friends and I paused our meal several times to dance by the stage!
As the meals were ending and the sun started setting, the champagne was flowing. We enjoyed the sunset with glasses in hand and eagerly awaited the headlining show: Louis Bertignac. He is a well-known French guitarist/singer/songwriter who knows how to get people on their feet!
Here in Champagne, we like to go big. Of course, we can’t have a big party like this without some fireworks! This impressive display was the perfect pairing for our drinks: Dom Perignon once said about champagne, “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!“. When I drink champagne, I think it’s like drinking golden fireworks. Enjoying both together at the same time was magical.
Finally, the evening ended with more dancing, thanks to DJ Chris Lim. At this point, almost everyone was up and moving. The dance floor expanded beyond the stage and between all the picnic blankets.
Overall, La Soirée Blanche de Reims was a fantastic experience that exceeded all of my expectations. The venue was beautiful. The food was delicious. The music was great. There was lots of champagne. I highly recommend that everyone attend at least once in their life! It is something not to be missed.
Thank you to Lehmann Reims for my ticket to La Soirée Blanche de Reims. I am so grateful for this opportunity. Cheers!
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