Champagne Wine Tour

UNVEILING YOUR CUSTOMIZED CHAMPAGNE ADVENTURE: EXPLORE YOUR TAILORED ITINERARY

1. Reims

   

   Arrive Reims- Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Taittinger

   • 5* Luxury Country House, outside Reims
   • Gastronomic Dinner with wines
   • Privately Chauffeured Mercedes

   Upon your arrival at Reims train station this morning, our driver will collect you and take you to your first appointment of the day, a beautiful private tour and tasting at the friendly Taittinger estate. On a private tour of their Roman chalk caves and Maison, be entertained while learning about the art of champagne making and finish with a tasting of various champagne styles.

   Then carry on to the prestigious Veuve Clicquot house. Founded in 1772 by Philipe Clicquot, who came from a banking family; he decided to use the family vineyards to create a wine business with big ambitions. However, his son’s widow, Madame Clicquot, is the most notable figure in Clicquot’s history. Widowed young at 27 back in 1805, her role as head of a company was unprecedented in that époque for a woman, and she is credited with veritably creating a wine empire for the brand and such vital inventions still used today like the riddling table. You will learn all about the history while touring their chalk cellars and conclude with a pre-lunch aperitif of the Grande Dame champagne!

   Enjoy a casual a la carte lunch at Brasserie Flo, one of our favorite informal eateries in the region with its high ceilings, Belle Époque paintings, mirrored walls, and Moroccan palms. Run by local chef David Mathieu, they are especially noted for their fish and seafood, and you might like to try their magnificent shellfish platter. Continue with delicious dishes like roast duck with scallops or free-range capon supreme.

   After lunch, take a digestive walk around historic Reims, including a visit to the outstanding 12th-century Gothic Cathedral where Charles VII was crowned under Joan of Arc. Before heading to your plush hotel this evening, you will tour one last house, the beautiful Pommery property. Their caves are some of the most extensive and fascinating in Champagne to visit, and you will enjoy a private tour with a tasting of three styles. Freshen up and relax at the hotel for a few hours before dinner, a gastronomic feast at their Two Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant. If you feel like a decadent nightcap, the bar serves Krug by the glass.

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2. Aÿ - Épernay - Hautvillers

   

   Épernay and Hautvillers- Gosset, Tribaut

   • 5* Luxury Country House, outside Reims
   • Full Breakfast, Gastronomic Dinner with wines
   • Privately Chauffeured Mercedes

   A later start today, sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and in the late morning, your driver will collect you and take you to pretty Maison Gosset, a relaxed half-hour drive. This chic wine house is also the oldest wine producer in Champagne, dating back to 1574, and is located just east of Épernay in Aÿ.

   On a private tour, you will visit the property and taste their best champagnes, including the Grande Réserve, Grand Millésime, Grand Rosé, and Grand Blanc de Blancs. Before enjoying lunch in medieval Hautvillers, pop into the super friendly Champagne Tribaut, a family-owned champagne grower who sells grapes to some of the most famous big houses, including Taittinger. Relax over an informal tasting of faves like their Champagne de Rosé Réserve, Cuvée de Réserve, and Grande Cuvée Spéciale, accompanied by some homemade snacks while admiring the vineyards and the Montagne de Reims.

   Lunch is next at L’Abbaye in Hautvillers, named, of course, after the nearby abbey where Dom Pérignon perfected the champagne method (his tomb lies here in the abbey as well and is a bit of a wine lover’s pilgrimage). This landmark restaurant serves delicious local fare, and you can order a la carte trying specialties like their ham hock terrine, creamy scallops served Champagne style with morels and asparagus, and hearty casserole dishes.

   After lunch, stretch your legs and enjoy a walk around picturesque Hautvillers. This darling hamlet is set in the Montagne de Reims nature reserve, and an expanse of vines surrounds you. The winding, narrow streets lined with colorful timber façades and beautiful iron shop signs. Before returning to the hotel this afternoon, we suggest visiting Au 36 on the famous rue Dom Pérignon, a trendy wine bar and shop well worth a visit. If the weather is pleasant, sit on the terrace, enjoy “une coupe,” and count your blessings.

   Dinner tonight is at the beautiful Two Michelin-starred Le Parc Les Crayères in Reims. The whimsical menu created by Philippe Mille, and the setting is exquisite, so tonight, you can get dressed up. Enjoy the chef’s taster with wine pairings, and your driver will take you back to your country house after a fabulous meal; this is the gourmet highlight of the trip.

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3. Épernay - Troyes

   

   Dom Pérignon at Moet & Chandon, Medieval Troyes

   • 5* boutique hotel in historic Troyes
   • Full Breakfast, Casual Dinner with wines
   • Privately Chauffeured Mercedes

   Today you switch gears and will be mostly sightseeing and enjoying the countryside and quaint villages, but first, one last wine experience- at the iconic Moet & Chandon house founded in 1743, where you will taste Dom Pérignon on a private tour.

   Their wine cellars are some of the longest in Champagne (stretching over 17 miles!), and their Champagne is one of the most popular on the planet. Of their over 2800 acres of nutrient-rich chalk soil vineyards, over half produce grand crus and a quarter premiers crus. The visit here is corporate and slick but no less fascinating for this, and you really can’t leave Champagne without having a tour here, as the cellars are extraordinary. Enjoy the Dom and bid farewell to the glamorous Avenue de Champagne, admiring other big names like Winston Churchill’s adored Pol Roger and fashion favorite Perrier-Jouët.

   Medieval Troyes is next, just over an hour’s journey through a patchwork of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier-planted vineyards. Whose romantic, the historic center is shaped like a champagne cork! Fairy Tale Troyes has a heritage of stained glass, and you will find sublime Gothic churches here, 16th-century courtyards, a maze of cobblestone alleyways, and a small but important art museum. The town is also known for its andouillette sausages. The afternoon is yours to explore on your own, enjoying the fabulous shops, gardens, and architectural patrimony.

   Tonight you sleep in a boutique; five-star hotel-converted convent in the heart of the old town that once pertained to the Knights of Malta. Your hotel has a dreamy little pool where you can take a dip before dinner. Dinner tonight is laid back and charming at the enchanting Le Valentino, set in a medieval courtyard.

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4. Troyes

   

   Bon Voyage!

   • None
   • Full Breakfast
   • Privately Chauffeured Mercedes

   Enjoy breakfast in a beautiful courtyard today, weather permitting, and then at your preferred time, your driver will collect you and take you to your next port of call. We hope you had a marvelous time on this luxury wine tour of Champagne!

   As Charles Dickens famously said- “Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life.” Why not add some elegance to your next vacation?

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