Tour the Champagne Region
March 2, 2014
If you are thinking of taking a day trip outside of Paris to have a better taste of the French countryside, might we suggest a tour of the Champagne region?
Located just about 100 miles east of Paris is the historic province of Champagne. It is here where the worlds supply of Champagne is born! It should also be noted that the term “champagne” is reserved exclusively for the sparkling wine produced in this region.
A reputation dating as far back as the Middle Ages, the territory is renowned for harvesting the finest white wines in the world. The towns of Reims and Épernay are the least rural and the most popular tourist destinations here. The champagne houses of Tattinger, Ruinart, G.H. Mumm, and Veuve Clicquot are located in Reims and Dom Perignon/Moet & Chandon is founded in Épernay.
Reims
We recently took a tour of the city of Reims and the G.H. Mumm wine caves there and highly recommend it. Reims is as rich in history as it is in Champagne production.
The cathedral located here was the place of crowning for the kings of France. It was unfortunately heavily damaged during WWI but has since been masterfully restored and is quite impressive. Nearby the Cathedral of Notre Dame Reims is the Saint Remi Basilica. Much of the facade of the structure dates back to the 11th century and many historical royal figures are buried here. There is also a museum on site featuring artifacts such as jewels, tapestries, pottery, and art pieces from the 16th century.
- Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims
G.H. Mumm
After a historical excursion of the town, we suggest taking a lesson in Champagne history by visiting the G.H. Mumm Wine Cellars. The tour provides compelling insight on the Champagne production process for its roughly 25 million bottles stored there, as well as a mini museum that includes an archived view of the Champagne house (dating back to 1827). The tour nicely concludes with a tasting of G.H Mumm Cordon Rouge.
Tour Information
Address: 34 rue du Champ de Mars
51100 REIMS
tel. : 03 26 49 59 70
fax. : 03 26 49 59 01
e-mail : [email protected]
web : www.ghmumm.com
From March to October 2014: Open daily (weekends and holidays included) from 9am to 6pm. Visits by appointment.
From November 2014 to February 2015: Open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm. Visits by appointment. Closed 25 December and 1 January.
Languages: French and English. Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese and Russian upon request.
Additional Reims tourism information and a complete listing of the Champagne Houses can be found here: http://www.reims-tourism.com
Épernay
A tour of the region would not be complete without a stop at the mecca of all Champagne houses, that is Moët & Chandon! The winery is located in Épernay where many affluent wine merchants reside and much of the industries production materials are sold. It is home to the Moët & Chandon brand as well as Dom Perignon (the company also partners in owning the luxury brands Moët Hennessy and Louis Vuitton).
Here you may tour the largest cellars of the Champagne region, which extend over 28 km. A company introduction video is provided, followed by an overview of the production process and the tour concludes with a tasting. Some prepossessing facts are that the company was founded in 1743 and is the worlds largest producer with over 25 million bottles of champagne per year. Also, the Dom Perignon brand is named after the French Benedictine Monk, whom made significant contributions in the late 1600’s to what is now the modern champagne production process.
- Moët & Chandon Champagne Cellar Tour
Once the tour is complete you may also want to shop at the company store to purchase special edition champagne selections and Moët & Chandon or Dom Perignon collectible items.
Tour Information
Address: 20 Avenue de Champagne, 51200 Épernay, France
Phone:+33 3 26 51 20 00
Website: www.moet.com
Hours: Feb to Mar 23 and Nov 12 to Dec 28: Mon-Fri 9:30-11:30am and 2-4:30pm; Mar 24 to Nov 10: Mon-Sun 9:30-11:30am and 2-4:30pm
Click here for a complete listing of all the champagne houses in the region currently offering cellar tours: http://www.champagne.fr/en/comite-champagne/champagne-growers-and-houses/champagne-houses
Santé!