On this eight-hour tour, you’ll explore the birthplace of Champagne with your private driver-guide, pausing to taste some of the region’s finest varieties of the drink at several wineries while learning about how it’s produced. You’ll also head to a Champagne house for lunch, dining on paired locally sourced meal with a glass of bubbly that complements the taste of your dishes.
Between wineries, you’ll have a chance to visit the village of Hautvillers, whose winding streets are lined with family-run Champagne houses, small shops hung with forged-iron signs, and traditional Champenois houses. Here, you can also see the Abbey of Saint Peter, a former Benedictine monastery that dates to the 7th century.
Your driver-guide will collect you from your hotel and you’ll head into the vine-woven countryside of the Champagne region, where the world-renowned drink has been produced for centuries.
Your morning will be spent visiting either Veuve Clicquot or Moët & Chandon — both revered Champagne houses that have been in production since the 18th century. At whichever you visit, you’ll get to explore the cellars as you find out about the Champagne-making process, from vine to bottle. Then, you’ll have the chance to taste their finest fizz.
You’ll then head to the idyllic village of Hautvillers, known as the cradle of Champagne. Here, you can stroll narrow, winding streets lined with centuries-old buildings and boutique shops, as well as smaller, family-run Champagne houses. Your guide will fill you in on the history of the village and its role in Champagne production. You’ll also see the village’s abbey, which is built on the gravesite of Dom Pérignon, a monk from the 18th century who pioneered the Champagne-making process.
Afterwards, you’ll enjoy lunch at a local Champagne house, with a wine pairing included to complement your meal.
The rest of the day is spent at a family-run boutique winery, where you’ll experience a more intimate tour and tasting while learning more about the art of Champagne making, as well as the way of life here in this rural region of France.
Your driver-guide will then return you to your hotel.