I’ve always felt that even the smallest things become celebrations when you throw champagne into the mix. A beautiful glass of bubbly is almost an instant mood booster. So it’s no surprise that I couldn’t wait to go on a champagne tour in France!
We’ve been on wine tours throughout France before (as well as Spain, Italy, California, Chile, and even Croatia). But we had yet to experience a strictly champagne tour. It was always one of those bucket list things and on our recent trip to Paris, we booked a champagne tour day trip to Épernay with My Wine Days as part of a combo with our vintage Citroën tour of the city.
Champagne Tour Itinerary
*Morning pick up at your hotel and evening drop off in central Paris*
First tasting: Moët & Chandon
Épernay scenic overlook: A lush park for views, sparkling rosé, and education about the area.
Second tasting: Enjoy a champagne paired lunch with winemaker at Julien Chopin.
Third tasting: Dom Caudron
First Tasting
After a 7:00 am pick up and 1.5 hour drive, the first champagne tasting of the day was at Moët & Chandon. Our guide drove us through “champagne row” which is an elegant street lined with famous champagne houses. Each is in a stunning former private estate (picture a grand French mansion). The tour company promised a tasting at a major champagne house but we didn’t know it would be Moët until we arrived. I like the element of surprise, and being that Moët is the granddaddy of them all, I was happy.
The Moët tour began with a brief history of the families and then a tour of the underground cellars. They have the most extensive underground cellar in the region with over 28 kilometers where the champagne undergoes its magic. You could almost get lost down there, but Moët & Chandon keep a close eye on you throughout the tour, even counting the group multiple times to make sure no one wanders off. Security at Moët is a top priority.
The tour ends in a beautiful garden where a sommelier pours glasses of the house’s signature cuvée, Moët Impérial. I wouldn’t really call it a “tasting” as you only get a single glass of champagne to enjoy. But the tour experience was really neat and well, it’s Moët!
Épernay Scenic Overlook
This was one of my favorite parts of the tour and something that I found unique as far as wine tours go. We took time to stop at this lush green park with incredible views of Épernay and the surrounding region. The hillsides are full of champagne vines and there’s a cool breeze blowing through the trees. It was so beautiful that I want to go back and enjoy a long picnic there. Our guide produced glasses and a sparkling rosé and we just rested for a bit while taking in our incredible surroundings. Our guide provided education on the region and on champagne production while we took photos and sipped our bubbles. Perfection!
Second Tasting
Our second champagne tasting was at Julien Chopin where we combined our tasting with lunch. Each course was paired with a different champagne that Julien Chopin produces. This is a small family producer so the experience felt intimate. Lunch was filling and tasty (I really enjoyed the duck rillettes), but not what I would consider a gourmet French lunch as was described by our tour company. Still, it was quite good and we enjoyed the champagne and friendly staff.
Third Tasting
I have to say that by this point in the day, you may be a bit tired of champagne. I know…crazy right? Who could tire of drinking champagne? Well, it happens. So, I’m not sure my review of our third tasting does it all the justice in the world. What I can say is that we had a very kind tour guide at Dom Caudron who took us into the fermentation room and we tasted four of their champagnes.
Over 60 vine growers contribute fruit to the production of Dom Caudron. Their signature grape is Meunier, one of the three main varieties used in making champagne. The other two are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. As part of a champagne blend, the Meunier grape adds a fruity flavor to the wine.
Overall it was a great day and I recommend doing a champagne tour in France. My only complaint really is that our small group of 6 people was combined with another small group making our group bigger. The tour description said it would be a smaller group, and I prefer smaller gatherings for wine tastings, but there wasn’t anything we could do about it.
Have you been on a champagne tour in France?
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xo – Erin
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