For my mother-in-law's 90th birthday, we decided to surprise her with a visit in the Spring. Arriving in Paris from the USA a week before her birthday, we spent a few days laying low with friends. We had intended to drive out to Troyes, knock on her door and just surprise her. But I think reason got the better of us. Would she die of a heart attack? Would she be angry she didn't have the time to do her hair or make a bed for us? Calling two days before our arrival, she was nonetheless surprised and overwhelmed. At 90, Mamie-Thé – as we call her – doesn't get out a lot, but on a beautiful spring day we drove her through the vineyards of her beloved Champagne, and on the recommendation of one of the producers we visited, we ended up for a delightful lunch at the "Crieurs de Vin" in the old medieval city of Troyes.