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Multiple
Free Cancellation
Overview
Explore France's idyllic Champagne region, uncovering UNESCO treasures like Notre Dame Cathedral in Reims and Epernay's Avenue de Champagne, on this tasting tour. Explore the Marne Valley's historic vineyards, the birthplace of Champagne. Delve into Hautvillers, where Dom Pérignon's legacy thrives, and savor the allure of Aÿ-Champagne's Grand Cru vineyard.
Operated by
Aÿ-Champagne Experience
Ratings & Reviews
Average Rating
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Excellent Experience
ElmaMujollari, Sept 2020
We decided to take this trip after having visited the Tattingier Caves in Reims. This time me and my friends wanted to avoid bands and their luxury taste and focus more on the experience and passion that comes with champagne making. We couldn't choose better than Isabelle to take us through some of the most interesting artifacts about these small champagne villages that we would certainly remember long. She was very very well informed and very passionate about her job. She knew in detail historical facts and more importantly, she knew very well the life of these villages. Lives that are so rooted in the vineyards, grapes and their varieties, champagne making processes, maturing time and methods, and champagne merchandise. And we met some of these lives some and we spoke to them and we could see their passion and their motivations to dedicate their lives to continuing this family tradition. It was impressive to see how this passion was inherited through 4 generations and still standing while looking at a little girl carrying bottles from one room to another or a teenager pushing a barrel bigger way bigger than him. Walking also through these villages while Isabelle explained the symbolism of many objects and places and many stories from those originating in folklore to more modern ones was a truly unforgettable experience. It was also of great pleasure to witness their sense of community. While driving her environmentally friendly car, Isabelle used to salute almost every single villager she saw. They smiled, waved, or saluted back like if they knew each other very well. Actually they knew each other for generations. and this is the beauty of this trip, it gives you a glimpse of how it is to live there. How it is to have champagne in your blood. I will certainly do it again and I want to bring my family there. In the same way, you wish to bring your most loved ones to places you know will inspire them and awake many wonderful emotions they have felt years ago or they have encountered in books or films.
Response from Host, Oct 2020
Merci Elma, what a fantastic summary of what I bring to my guests ! I am very deeply touched by what you say and will be delighted to see you and your loved ones again in Champagne. Sincerely, Isabelle
Amazing
Sabina_I_1990, Jul 2020
We had selected the 3h tour from the website. From the initial interaction with Isabelle you will realise the tour is very well organizaed - very fast reply to the request send via email. The pick-up/drop off was from our hotel close to Epernay. The tour takes you to several locations around Epernay, and you will be able to enjoy amazing views normally only accesible to locals. You will get to learn information regarding the region, champagne tasting and understand the champagne industry. The personal experinece Isabelle brings truly makes you feel part of the community of Epernay who has a generational experince in the art of champagne making. I strongly recommad this tour if you wish to have a unique experince in the champagne region.
Response from Host, Aug 2020
Oh thank you ! It was a perfect day spent with you ! See you soon in Champagne for other unforgettable experiences ! Isabelle
Magical picnic in the vineyards
JIFF1976, Jul 2020
Isabelle was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the champagne region and the grapes. It was an unforgettable experience which we will treasure, especially the picnic in the vineyards overlooking Ay. She was also able to provide us with some good recommendations for independent growers to visit. We fell in love with the region and will definitely be back for more experiences.
Response from Host, Aug 2020
It's always with great pleasure that I took you off the very touristy roads to discover real champagne ! See you soon for more experiences :) Sincerely, Isabelle
A Very Good Day
noreens799, Apr 2020
Isabelle is amazing. She offers personalized tours that intimately reflect your interests. My husband does not drink but is an avid photographer, so our tour included lush spots geared to his visual interests. We both enjoyed learning more about the history of champagne and the region. Most of all, we loved the connection to real people living and working to produce one of the world's most appreciated beverages. It was a wonderful afternoon.
Response from Host, Jun 2020
Thank you very much, I also remember this wonderful time spent in your company and I hope to see you again soon to live other unforgettable authentic experiences in private in Champagne ! Cheers ! Isabelle
Itinerary
Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Reims
Discover one of the most famous Unesco Site in Champagne : The Reims Cathedral, site of the coronation of the kings of France who is the essential first step of your stay in Champagne.
Before giving you the opportunity to explore its interior, your guide will explain the Cathedral’s history and mysteries.
To join it, we will pass by the "Colline Saint-Nicaise", occupied by famous Champagne Houses (Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery...) which have exploited the chalk pits there since the end of the 18th century, also inscribed on the World Heritage List.
2 hoursAbbaye Saint-Pierre d'Hautvillers
In Hautvillers, village called the “Cradle of Champagne”, enjoy a private tour of the Church where the grave of Dom Pérignon, known as the spiritual father of Champagne, is.
We will tell you his story and you will finally know whether or not he is the inventor of Champagne !
45 minutesHautvillers
In Hautvillers, we will also stop in the historical hillsides of Champagne listed as Word Heritage Site by Unesco to enjoy the most magnificent panorama of Champagne overlooking the Marne Valley, the place where Dom Pérignon carried out his experiments in winemaking.
It is the ideal place in the heart of the vineyards to take unforgettable photos of you and this breathtaking landscape.
We will visit a family of independent producer/grower and we will explain the Champagne production process to you discovering their press, winery and cellar.*
You will taste there 3 different Champagnes during a commented tasting.
*depending on the season and availability, this visit/tastings may take place in a village of the "Côte des Blancs" or in Aÿ-Champagne.
2 hoursAy-Champagne
You will discover also the famous village of Aÿ-Champagne, its hillsides listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO and famous Grand Cru vineyards.
Do you know that the village of Aÿ-Champagne was the main center of the Champagne industry in the 16th century and still has a very special place ?
The kings of France had their own presses there and the wines of Champagne were formerly called "Wines of Aÿ".
You will discover a part of this historic village and its famous vineyard mainly planted with Pinot noir where we will tell you about the work of the vines, the grape varieties, this exceptional Terroir, sustainable viticulture...
We will also stop in front of the headquarters of famous Champagne Houses of Aÿ such as Bollinger, Deutz, Ayala..
During the day, in addition to the Champagnes, taste the 3 essential Champagne alcohols and aperitifs : Ratafia, Fine de la Marne and Marc de Champagne from the Goyard Distillery which is the oldest in Champagne.
1 hourAy-Champagne
For lunch, we have selected for you Champagne and dining bars appreciated by the locals in order to share this convivial moment*.
On the menu, to accompany your glasses of Champagne (a bottle for 2 persons) for example : gourmet platters of charcuterie and cheese with bread and salad, ready-made farm meals, pâtés, regional biscuits and coffee.
When booking your tour, please inform us if you have food allergies or have any dietary requirements.
*Depending on the day of the tour, the lunch location may vary.
2 hoursMareuil-sur-Ay
We will also pass through the Premier Cru village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ in the Marne Valley with its historic hillsides listed as well as World Heritage Site by Unesco and mainly planted with Pinot Noir. This is the village where more confidential Champagne Houses are located : Champagne Billecart-Salmon and Philipponnat.
Avenue de Champagne
Another must-see Champagne UNESCO World Heritage Site that we will cross is the "Avenue de Champagne" in Epernay, the Capital of the Champagne vineyard.
It is considered "the most expensive Avenue in the world" with its prestigious Champagne houses, its mansions and its 100 kilometers of cellars which hide 200 million bottles.
A commented passage is planned to explain the history of its superb mansions and production buildings belonging for centuries to the Champagne Houses like Moët & Chandon, Perrier Jouët, Pol Roger, etc.
Experience
Highlights
Inclusions
- Private transportation
- Lunch (with a bottle of champagne for 2 persons)
- Additional tastings of the 3 essential Champagne alcohols and aperitifs (Ratafia, Fine, Marc)
- Visit and tastings of 3 Champagne Grand Cru/Premier Cru
- Pick up in the perimeter of 6kms (3.7 miles) around Epernay
- Private guide/chauffeur
Additional Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Guide Languages
English
French
Cancellation Policy
A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 24 hours before the activity start time.
No refund is possible if you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time.