My friend and champagne expert, Rikki, invited me to go champagne tasting in Champagne, France, visiting a dozen houses that ranged from massive to minuscule, widely popular to practically unheard of. Some we toured, others we enjoyed a champagne-pairing meal. The balance was perfect, so I’m sharing it here for your own itinerary inspiration.
The Champagne region includes two major cities, Reims and Épernay, plus several villages. The wineries — or “champagne houses” — are spread throughout the region, and it’s worth visiting as many houses as possible. But it’s important to know that they can be far away from each other, so you’ll need to drive in between them. (I made that mistake my first time doing a day trip to Champagne from Paris, so trust me!)
Tips for Champagne Tasting in Champagne
Getting to the Champagne region from Paris is quick and easy on the train. It’s possible to do it in a day trip (see tips here) but you’ll only be able to visit a few houses. If you want a complete tour, give yourself a few days (we did four). I flew into Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport and jumped on the train in the airport to Champagne — only 30 minutes away! (Book train tickets here.)
Like with any winery- or distillery-focused trip, the best way to do champagne tasting in Champagne is to hire a driver. We used Sparkling Tours, who picked us up every morning and drove us around all day. A few drivers doubled as tour guides, even coming in the Hautvilles Abbey to give us background info! Or sign up for a guided tour like this that includes transportation and wineries.
The six of us stayed at a compound of apartments called Le Cour Tellier. They were cute and included full kitchens, but the bathroom door was glass, which made it awkward. (You could see everything!) Each morning our hosts delivered baskets of warm croissants, baguettes, French cheese, eggs, juice, and yogurt to our doorstep. It was magical! Located in Rilly-la-Montagne, it was a good central point to get where we needed to be.
Now for the best champagne houses in Champagne.
Champagne Philipponnat: For the Whole Story
We started at Champagne Philipponnat, in Aÿ-Champagne, a village outside of Épernay. This was a great place to start because the tour took us through the entire wine-making process. Instead of just talking about the Méthode Champenoise used to make champagne, Philipponnat actually started the tour by walking through the vines. There’s something about experiencing the source always makes me giddy, even if the vines were barely turning green in April.
After walking through the vines we toured the grape press and fermentation tanks before experiencing another rarity: Philipponnat’s caves. Champagne caves are more common in Reims, so experiencing them at Philipponnat gave us the full picture. It was a great start to our champagne tasting in Chamapagne!
Leclerc Briant: For Innovative & Experimental Techniques
The next morning we started our day of champagne tasting in Champagne at Leclerc Briant in Épernay. Another smaller producer, Leclerc Briant is a biodynamic winery focused on innovative and experimental techniques. Specifically, they’re playing around with aging wine in different vessels to see how it affects taste. Think glass orbs, cement and terracotta eggs, and even a gold-lined silver barrel!
We opted for a wine-pairing lunch here, which was perfect. After a quick tour of the cellars, we were led into a room akin to someone’s living room — welcoming and relaxing — where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch paired with Champagne.
Trésors de Champagne: For Discovering Little Producers
Next we drove to Reims for a rosé masterclass at Trésors de Champagne. Trésors is part wine shop and part tasting room, but it’s unique because all the wines are from small producers and growers from the region. Most are family-owned growers who otherwise wouldn’t have marketing time and money to get their wine in front of consumers.
The shop looks magical with bottle-shaped lights floating in the ceiling and bubbly walls. Plus it’s also interactive! Some of the bottles hanging from the ceiling can be pulled down to learn about specific producers. And each shelf features a different grower, with a picture of the people behind the brand. Trésors offers several masterclasses that showcase the diversity of Champagne. Or if you’re looking for something more low-key, they also offer themed tastings. We focused on rosé from the area and loved the wines we tasted so much, we shipped two cases home!
Domangin J. Fils: For Something Completely Different – Ratafia!
Domangin J. Fils was one of the highlights of my entire trip to Champagne and, oddly enough, we didn’t have any champagne there! While it is a champagne house with well-recognized wines, they also produce Ratafia, a fortified wine spirit, and ratafia-finished whisky. (Not sure what that is? Neither did I until we went! More on that later.)
We were given a special tasting of ratafia and ratafia-finished whisky paired with small bites from a Michelin-rated restaurant around the corner. But as much as I want to gush about the experience, it’s not offered to the public so I’ll stop here. However, if you’re able to stop by Domangin J. Fils in Chigny-les-Roses to taste their ratafia, I highly recommend it!
Perrier-Jouët’s Maison Belle Epoque: For an Extravagant Experience
That afternoon, we had a champagne-pairing lunch at Perrier-Jouët’s Maison Belle Epoque in Épernay. Perrier-Jouët is one of the most prestigious houses in Champagne. They claim to be the first house to display the vintage year on their bottles and also house two of the oldest known bottles of champagne in existence — from 1825!
Our lunch started with a tour of the Maison Belle Epoque, an 18th Century mansion once home to generations of the brand’s founding family. Today it houses the largest private collection of French Art Nouveau in Europe, blending art and nature in every room.
The five-course lunch was exquisite in every detail, deliciously paired with champagne. (Think lobster, clams in gelée with smoke eel, grilled wagyu beef with leeks and caviar.) We ended our visit with coffee in the garden, sitting among nature on a beautiful spring day.
Nicolas Feuillatte: For a Look at the Massive Producers
The next day we drove to the town of Chouilly to tour Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. The popular champagne producer is actually a union of 82 winemaking cooperatives representing more than 5,000 vineyards.
The size and scale of production at Champagne Nicolas Fueillatte is striking, especially compared to the smaller producers we’d visited so far. But even though their production is massive, the company emphasizes that the local producers are at the heart of the wine they make.
We did the Sensory Discovery tour, which included a tour of the wine-making facilities and warehouses, followed by a blind tasting. It started with a sensory test of smells, tastes, and even textures in unmarked black jars, then a blind tasting of three cuvée champagnes. It was a fun way to learn about the tasting notes in champagne.
Ruinart: For Huge Champagne Caves
We started our last day with a tour of the infamous Champagne Ruinart in Reims. Established in 1729, Ruinart is the oldest surviving champagne house to exclusively produce sparkling wine. They age their wine in underground caves, called crayéres, which are medieval chalk mines that keep the wine at a constant temperature.
During World War I, Ruinart’s buildings were destroyed during the Battle of the Marne, so the Head of the House continued to conduct business in their underground caves. When the caves flooded after more bombing, he continued business from a floating raft. Talk about dedication!
Ruinart’s crayéres are some of the largest in the region and the only ones in Reims on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Extending 125 feet underground, they contain hundreds of thousands of bottles of wine — and, surprisingly, an art installation.
We did the Blanc Singular Tour, which started with a walk through the impressive caves, then the bottling line, where one person tastes every single bottle for quality purposes! It ended with a tasting of Blanc de Blanc champagnes. We compared each glass to a tray of herbs and fruit to guess which array of smells properly represented each glass of wine. It was a fun, challenging way to test our palates.
Veuve Clicquot: for Historic Caves and Popular Champagne
The finale to our Champagne trip was touring the famed Veuve Clicquot in Reims. Veuve Clicquot contributed to the champagne world in many ways and is famous for many reasons. But my favorite is the story of the namesake, Barb Nicole Clicquot, who was widowed at age 27. She continued her husband’s family’s wine business, which was even named after her. (Veuve is “widow” in French.)
Like Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot ages their wine underground in former chalk mines. During World War I, they were used to shelter residents of the area during bombings. In fact, the Red Cross sign on the wall and directions to the different shelters is still visible. (How cool is that?!) Even better: the champagne tasting at the end of the tour is in the caves!
We finished our trip with a stay at Veuve Clicquot’s invite-only hotel, Hotel du Marc, including a pairing dinner. It was incredible!
•••
Remember that when champagne tasting in Champagne, you want to experience a range of champagne houses, from different sizes and production styles, and areas of the region. Don’t just focus on huge producers you’ve heard of or the larger areas like Reims and Épernay. Use your trip to discover a new brand or new style you didn’t know you enjoyed.
Related :: Tips for a Day Trip to Champagne from Paris, Staying at Veuve Clicquot’s Hotel du Marc
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and I may receive a commission from them. Thank you for supporting the companies that support Whiskied Wanderlust.
Such a great article packed full of great observations and insights. Thank you.