A few years ago, I read the book, “The Winemaker’s Wife” by Kristin Harmel, a work of fiction set during WWII in Champagne. While I love champagne, both the taste of it and its celebratory essence, I didn’t know much about its production, let alone the storied role played by the champagne houses as part of the resistance. As a history nerd, I immediately became intrigued with Champagne and added it to my list of places to one day visit.
Before heading to Bordeaux for our friends’ wedding, we made an early October weekend trip to Champagne. Situated almost equally between Reims and Épernay, the two major cities within the Champagne region, we chose the Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in Champillon as our home base! I loved this property and would recommend it if you’re looking for conveniently located, luxurious accommodations.
There are many options for how to plan your champagne tasting experience. We had friends who traveled to the area for a week and had a wonderful itinerary created for them by OenoSpheres, however, since we had limited time in the countryside, and let’s be serious, I love trip research and itinerary building, I decided to forgo using a service and planned out our days myself, along with the help of the Royal Champagne concierge. I decided to focus on three types of tastings – one at a large, well-established champagne house, one at a smaller producer, and one at a biodynamic producer. We also left flexibility in our itinerary to check out Avenue de Champagne, grab an impromptu glass of champagne at a another major house, or simply relax on the terrace at the Royal Champagne.
To kick things off and get acquainted with the area, we did our first tasting and tour at Ruinart, which is the oldest champagne house, established in 1729 in Reims. What drew me to Ruinart were its cellars/caves and the ability to tour them! Down, almost 125 feet below ground, is a network of chalk caves storing champagne at both the ideal temperature and darkness. Interestingly, all of the old champagne houses in this area of Reims are connected in this same maze of caves, just separated by walls! In WWII, these cellars played a critical role in helping to hide Jewish people alongside special vintages of champagne in order to preserve the houses! Ruinart’s Blanc de Blancs is a stand-out and I loved learned about the process to produce it. It makes enjoying a glass that much better!
After Ruinart, we stopped by the outdoor café at Veuve Clicquot for a glass of La Grand Dame and some charcuterie. If we had more time in the area, I would have done an experience here because I love the story of the widow Clicquot and overall brand identity of this champagne!
For our second day in Champagne, we headed to a tour, tasting, and lunch at the family-owned Le Clos Corbier in Aÿ. This was our most informative tour of the trip and I would highly recommend it if you want a more personalized and in depth look at champagne production. We even took a quiz at the end to see what knowledge we grasped! It was fun to enjoy a lunch on the property and try their various varietals, which are produced under two brand names, Guy Méa and Collard-Milesi.
Following lunch, we headed to Épernay to dive into biodynamic champagnes and the unique experimentation happening at Leclerc Briant. Established in 1872, what I found interesting about this champagne house is that despite its longevity as a producer, it’s still working to evolve. Amongst many things, Leclerc Briant, which is now owned by a Boston-based couple, tests out different vessels for fermentation. We really enjoyed the champagne at Leclerc Briant, especially the brut rosé, and loved learned it’s now owned by Bostonians! Small world.
Épernay is a small city that boasts a fabulous street called the Avenue de Champagne, which as you may have guessed, features one champagne house after another! You can book tours and tastings at the houses, but also just drop in for a glass of champagne in their tasting room, which often includes a beautiful outdoor area. We especially loved the tasting/lounge areas of Perrier-Jouët and Moët & Chandon.
A few tips…
You need to make reservations in advance as tours and tastings book up quickly. As soon as you book your flights, book your itinerary or hire a company to do it for you. I would also recommend booking your dinner reservations in advance.
Pricing for experiences vary greatly, but a review of the champagne house’s websites and/or consulting your tour guide or concierge is recommended so you can assess how many spots you want to visit and what type of experience you desire (i.e.: just a tasting vs. a tour vs. casually stopping by for a glass of bubbly).
Depending on how many champagne houses you plan to visit per day and how you plan to get out to the area, you may want to hire a driver. We rented a car in Paris and had a well-spaced out, light itinerary, so we drove from tasting to tasting, however, taking a train from Paris and getting a driver is another good option. We really value going at our own pace when traveling for vacation, and my husband, Lyle loves to drive, so we were happy with our choice to do a rental.
Make sure to review hours of champagne houses in advance, as most on the Avenue de Champagne are closed on Tuesdays and I found that others that were located outside of the main cities were closed on Sunday and/or Monday.
The champagne caves are a bit chilly and the terrain can be dusty and rugged. Bring a sweater and pack comfortable shoes! I wore sandals, which were fine, but a more sensible option would have been sneakers.
Cheers and may the only pain you have be champagne!
The A-Lyst is a Boston-based lifestyle blog curating the very best of style, beauty, food, and travel.