CHAMPAGNE

A day trip to Champagne from Paris can be done either by car (a good 1,5 hour) or by train (40mn ride) where one of our tour guides will greet your clients. Not all Champagne houses are open on week ends.

We like to take our clients to a small producer. There are hundreds but rarely mentioned. They make excellent Champagnes and before all offer a different atmosphere and a more exclusive and intimate visit.

This morning your tour guide will meet you at your hotel and you will depart for a full day tour of the Champagne region. 
This morning your tour guide will meet you at the train station in Reims and you will depart for a full day tour of the Champagne region. 
Champagne is the name of the infamous sparkling wine but is also the name of the region where this wine is produced. Only sparkling wine produced in this very specific area can be labeled Champagne. 

You will start the day with a tour of the town of Reims, the capital of the Champagne region. You will discover the 800 year old Gothic cathedral, Notre Dame de Reims, where all but 2 of the French kings were crowned. Reims is also the home to the Champagne houses which have been established in the town for decades & whose cellars hold some of the most prestigious Champagnes in the world. We will arrange a tour & tasting at one of the major Maisons de Champagne such as Ruinart, Pommery, Veuve Cliquot or Mumm (please let us know if you have a preference).

We will arrange a lunch and tasting at a producer.

After lunch at a local brasserie, you will leave the town of Reims & drive through the Montagne de Reims – some of the finest French vineyards. We will make a stop in the charming village of Hautvillers, known around the world thanks to the Benedictine monk Dom Perignon who is buried in the village. You will discover the narrow streets & alleys lined with colorful wrought irons signs revealing the activities taking place behind the doors of the village houses & buildings as well as the breathtaking panorama over the surrounding vineyards. We will then take you for a tour & tasting at one of the numerous smaller producers in the area. You will discover first hand the techniques of Champagne making before enjoying a tasting. After the tour, your guide will return you to the train station for your train back to Paris.

PLEASE NOTE: Moet & Chandon has closed as of Oct 1st, 2014 for renovations. They will be closed for at least 1 year. There is a boutique for people who wish to stop & buy but no visits of the underground cellars or tastings.