Epernay

In 1871 Eugène Mercier began the pioneering project of constructing wine cellars: “Count by kilometers and not by meters,” he indicated to the architects. A few years later, 18 kilometers of impressive underground tunnels were created with an incredible cellar that now offers visitors the opportunity to experience an inspiring discovery. Come along and discover the Maison Mercier onboard a little train to travel across the cellars. Enjoy the audio tour followed by a tasting of two champagnes, the Mercier Brut and Mercier Brut Blanc de Noirs, with commentary. Possible tour languages include French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese and Russian.

Arrive at a beautiful Champagne House called Vollereaux Champagne in the Marne Valley of Champagne. Begin the 1-hour tour with a guided visit of the historic cellars. Learn about the history of the house and the champagne-making process. Find out how the house was founded in 1805, and now stretches over 100-acres, covering the 13 villages of Coteaux Sud d’Epernay. Discover how the 6th-generation of the Vollereaux family continues a 200-year legacy of family management at the champagne house. At the end of the tour, taste 3 different champagnes as you feel the sense of sharing and togetherness which reflects the family's history and its pursuits. 

Tour starts at your hotel (if located in Paris) or at the central Paris meeting point. Your driver guide will pick you up in a cozy air-conditioned minivan at around 7.30 AM. Enjoy tasty croissants on the way to Champagne, while your guide tells you all you need to know about the sparkling universe of champagne! Once you arrive in Champagne, you'll start your day with a visit to a very prestigious Estate (Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Mercier etc. depending on supplier availability). Discover never-ending galleries filled with bottles and of course, finish the guided-tour with a tasting. Back in your air-conditioned minivan, admire the landscapes and stop in the heart of the vineyard to enjoy a masterclass led by your wine expert guide. He will teach you the basis of the wine professional tasting. Then you will practice by enjoying a special cuvee. Next stop is for lunch in a family-run champagne House or at a local restaurant (depending on availability). You will have the chance to taste several glasses of champagne and ratafias (another local wine), paired with local food. Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Champagne Rosé… what would you pair them with? After lunch, enjoy a digestive tour through the vineyard of the Côte des Blancs and Vallée de la Marne. Learn the characteristics of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, and enjoy amazing views over the vineyard. Get ready to take some pictures! Your guide will drive you to Hautvillers, a typical French village, home of the legendary Dom Perignon. Last but not least, visit another family-run winery where you will learn the art of sabrage or disgorgement “à la volée” (a technique for opening a champagne bottle), depending on availability. Taste several delicious champagnes before heading back to Paris, where you will be dropped off in a central, well connected area.

Explore the Champagne region on a guided day tour from Paris. Visit the cellars of reputable champagne producers, learn about the history of the region, taste local wines, and enjoy a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. Start with a pickup from your hotel and head for the heart of the champagne region, Épernay. Take a guided tour of Moet & Chandon or other famous champagne houses such as Pommery, G.H MUMM, Veuve Clicquot, Mercier, etc. Learn about the history of its namesake and sip on fine vintage champagne. Stroll along the Avenue de Champagne towards your minivan while the guide tells you about a few other well-known houses around you and the champagne cellars below you. Visit a small local winery and meet the people behind the production of this great drink. Taste their elegant and exclusive product and hear about the history of their champagne estate. Stop in the village where the monk who invented champagne lived. Discover local gastronomy and savor a 3-course lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the producer where more than 80 farmers work hard to make an amazing selection of sparkling wines designed for special occasions. Explore the museum to see different utensils used to make Champagne, and watch a short film about the vineyards. Sample more glasses of Champagne before driving back to Paris. After a few fun games, trying all types of wines, and eating delicious food, your guide will also give you something nice to remember your visit to the champagne region and drop you off at your hotel.

Explore one of the great wine-producing areas of France on a small group tour of the Champagne region. Sample the sparkling produce of this world-renowned area, such as the Champagne Taittinger, one of the last Champagne houses to be owned by the original family.  With varietals consisting of 50% pinot noir, 15% Pinot Meunier, and 35% chardonnay, the Taittinger vineyard is an unsurpassed example of a Champagne-style in which chardonnay plays such a significant role. The vineyard's production is supplemented by the contractual acquisition of grapes from independent suppliers operating the finest vineyards in the Champagne region.  En route to Épernay, travel through the Marne Valley vineyards to meet the legendary monk Dom Pérignon who produced the most expensive wines of France in the 17th century and is now buried in the church of the former Benedictine Hautvillers Abbey. Visit Épernay, often referred to as the "Capital of Champagne Wine," where the main street appears like an exhibition of luxurious mansions housing illustrious Maisons de Champagne.  Discover some of the most prestigious names, including Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët, and Pol Roger and learn about the 100 kilometers of tunnels beneath the street. Take a break to enjoy lunch in one of several options in the city center during 1 hour of free time.  Next, take a guided tour and enjoy a tasting at the world-famous Maison de Champagne Moët & Chandon. Founded in 1743 by Claude Möet, its history is linked to famous figures such as the Marquise de Pompadour and Napoleon I. Moët & Chandon Champagne has been sold to many important historical events, including the coronation of King Edward VII, the Cannes Film Festival, and the 120th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.

Engage your senses with Champagne tastings at family-run, boutique wineries on this tour from Reims. Venture into cellars and uncover the secrets to producing Champagne. Travel in a comfortable and airconditioned van and visit the charming village of Hautvillers.  Meet your guide at your hotel in Reims and hop aboard a spacious van. Relax on the drive through the countryside on your way to the most famous vineyards of the Champagne region. Drive through' Avenue du Champagne,' to view esteemed Champagne houses.  Let the historical village of Hautvillers and its captivating church take you back in time and as you admire the breathtaking views of Champagne’s UNESCO-listed vineyards.  Ride thorugh vineyards of the elegant Montagne de Reims while your guide points out the region's highlights. Visit the exclusive cellars of a family-operated winery, tour the traditional press, and see the vat roo. Listen as your host details the traditional Champagne-making method called the "Méthode Champenois". Appreciate several tastings and acquire further knowledge and expertise on sparkling wine. Finish your afternoon with a last stop at another Champagne tasting place were you will be able taste and compare various cuvée-wines. Return to your accommodation in Reims at the conclusion of your tour. 

Go on an adventure in a tethered giant helium-filled balloon, tied near the bottom of the Avenue de Champagne and fly up to 150 meters from the ground.  Enjoy views over the town and the surrounding UNESCO World Heritage vineyards. Savor a glass of champagne while admiring the bird’s eyes view of this beautiful area.  Look down into the hidden gardens of the beautiful Belle Epoque mansions and take in this unique atmosphere.

Visit a world-famous Champagne house and Epernay region on this guided day trip from Reims. Uncover the secrets to producing world-class champagne as you visit vineyards and a cellar. Sit down to a lunch with regional specialties, champagne, and wines.  Meet your guide and hop aboard a comfortable minivan in Reims and enjoy views of the countryside on the drive to Moët & Chandon for an introduction to the Champagne making process.  Enjoy a morning glass of champagne and wander through the vineyards of La Montagne de Reims while your guide explains the particularities of the region, from the grape varieties to the vine growing and winemaking process. Drive through the beautiful Champagne Avenue in Epernay and hop off the minivan to explore the picturesque village of Hautvillers, where the Monk Dom Perignon lived for 47 years. Walk through the alleys of the church where the first champagnes were made. Feast your eyes on exquisite panoramic views of the Champagne vineyards. Take some time to appreciate the outstanding vistas of the Champagne region’s UNESCO-listed World Heritage hillside vines. Continue through the Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards of Ay and Mareuil/Ay. Explore a restored Champagne house and take a rest with aa traditional aperitif a local lunch, paired wines and champagnes in a fun and familial atmosphere. Try local products like baguettes, Reims’s ham, regional cheeses, and pink biscuit ratafia (sweet liquor). Then, get an introduction to the Champagne making process, economy and sparkling history.  Get a behind the scenes view of a family-run boutique winery. Visit the traditional press, vat room, and cellar of an authentic champagne grower. Stroll down the cool cellar corridors and glance at the immense quantity of bottles slowly maturing.  Delight your senses with several tastings of their bestseller, cuvees. Find bottles of Champagne for the best value. Your effervescent tour will end with your guide driving you back to Reims to conclude your full-day tour.

Enjoy an exclusive day trip to the city of Reims, and discover where many French kings were crowned before the French Revolution. Transfer from Paris to the historic city in the Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine region of France. Upon arrival, take a guided walk around the city center, and then go to the unique Reims Cathedral. Learn about its place in French history as the traditional coronation place for the kings of France. Marvel at its fine French Gothic architecture, and hear about some of the treasures contained within its walls. Next, transfer to the legendary vineyards of the Champagne region to taste different types of sparkling wine. Then, sit down and take the opportunity to discover local gastronomy. Savor a three-course lunch including a starter, main, and dessert at a local restaurant. You will visit one of the most prestigious wine-growing companies in the region. Learn how Champagne is made, from the pruning of the grape vines to the grape pressing, blending, and wine storage. See ancient cellars filled with glass containers and valuable contents gathering dust. Taste the wines.

Visit the only place in the world that grows and produces Champagne on a full-day trip from Paris. Take a guided tour of the House of Moët and Chandon or the Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne House. Enjoy included tasting opportunities and the chance to discover Reims Cathedral during the day Start the tour from Paris on a minibus that will take you to Champagne. Visit the quaint chapel of the Abbey at Hautvillers, which is also the gravesite of Dom Perignon, the father of Champagne. Learn about him with your guide, then meet with a local producer to hear about the wine growing process. Enjoy a fully-guided tour at the House of Moët and Chandon, the world’s largest producer of Champagne, or the prestigious Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne House if the House of Moet is not available on the day of the tour. Depending on the option you choose, enjoy 1 or 2 glasses of Champagne on your Champagne House tour, depending on the tour option you choose. You'll also have the opportunity to taste at least 3 different types of Champagne at a local family-run winery and pick up some bottles for souvenirs. Before heading back to Paris, visit the Reims Cathedral of Notre Dame, one of the defining models of Gothic art, and have free time to see the area where 25 French Kings were crowned.