Tripology

An Exciting Interview with Arthur Frommer

Champagne Discovery

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Detailed Trip Description

Champagne is synonymous with celebration and the good life, and a trip to Champagne is a non-stop celebration of great wine and food. Only 1 1/2 hours from Paris, Champagne is a fabulous destination for a long weekend, or it can be combined easily with Alsace or Burgundy for a superb and varied wine touring experience. On your tour of Champagne, you'll visit the very best producers: at the large, famous houses like Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart or Moet et Chandon, you'll see their incredible, immense cellars, some dating back as far as Roman times; at the small, boutique houses, you'll meet with the winemaker to get an intimate view of the complex and fascinating process of making Champagne. From the Montagne de Reims and its Pinot Noir-based Champagnes to the Côte des Blancs and its elegant Grand Cru Chardonnays, you'll discover the diverse terroirs that create a multitude of styles of great Champagne.

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Trip Itinerary

Day 1 - France

 
Private Car Service

Pick up at your Paris hotel by your English-speaking, wine expert guide/driver at 8am. Depart for Champagne, just a 1 ½ hour drive from Paris.

Sightseeing

Arrive in Reims, the “capital” of the Champagne region, where you’ll visit the spectacular Reims Cathedral, where the Kings of France were crowned for 800 years.

France Sightseeing picture
Sightseeing

Visit one of the best major Champagne houses in Reims: Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Ruinart, Taittinger or Mumm. You’ll visit their majestic cellars, most dating back to Roman times with huge chalk pits and miles of galleries.

France Sightseeing picture
Wine

Then enjoy a tasting of their fine Champagnes and some time for shopping in their boutique.

Food and Dining

Enjoy a lovely welcome lunch at your choice of a casual local bistrot or one of Reims’ best restaurants (reservations only). Your guide will provide an overview of the region and its wines as you sample some fine Champagnes during lunch.

Wine

This afternoon, you’ll travel into the beautiful Champange vineyards to visit one of the top boutique Champagne houses, like Tarlant, Billecart Salmon or Gatinois (these visits are usually with the winemaker him or herself).

Hotel

Check in late afternoon to your luxury 4-star hotel, a beautiful country inn located in the heart of the vineyards.

Food and Dining

Enjoy a delicious dinner at your hotel’s excellent restaurant (reservations only).


Day 2 - France

 
Sightseeing

Today you’ll explore the finest (and loveliest) winegrowing region of Champagne, the Côte des Blancs (“hillsides of the whites”), where the hillsides are covered with Chardonnay grapes.

Wine

Enjoy one or two tours/tastings (your choice) at the finest boutique producers of the Côtes des Blancs, like Champagnes DeSousa or Agrapart.

Food and Dining

Enjoy lunch along the way, your choice of casual or gourmet (reservations only).

Sightseeing

Visit the charming nearby hilltop village of Hautvillers and the abbey and tomb of Dom Perignon, the famous monk so well-known for his contributions to the development of Champagne as we know it today.

Wine

End the afternoon with a tour of the legendary Champagne house of Moet et Chandon, with a tasting of three of their best Champagnes.

Private Car Service

Transfer back to Paris at the end of the afternoon, arriving between 7pm and 8pm.


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