You don't need to travel to France to enjoy champagne. But if you are there, go straight to the Champagne domain and visit one of the 2 capital cities of the region: Reims or Épernay. If you are in Paris, you could train up & down on the same day. Trust me, it will be totally worth it.
I have curated a list of superb champagne experiences in Reims, you can read it here. Now it's time to talk about Épernay.
Épernay is the other capital city of Champagne and it's less than 30 km from Reims. I happened to be in Reims so, of course, I carped my diem and decided to spend the most epic 5 hours in Épernay.
This adventure includes the perfect itinerary for a fab champagne day in Épernay along with some pro tips to make the most out of your time.
Let’s go!
The 5-hour day was split into:
Second Breakfast
First things first, whenever I am in France, a crepe is a must for me. Yes, this is a cliché but who cares, they are divine! So the first stop was to get a crêpe au Nutella. This was in preparation for the tasting sessions ahead. Also, am I the only person that gets peckish 1 hour after breakfast?
Champagne Avenue
After the crêpes, I walked up L’Avenue de Champagne or Champagne Avenue. This street is filled with Champagne Maisons. It is about 1km long and it is a UNESCO world heritage site, absolute heaven. The architecture is impressive and you can find some of the world’s most famous champagne houses like Perrier-Jouët, Moët & Chandon, Pol Roger, Mercier, amongst others. I assume that’s what children feel like when they go to Disneyland. Sorry, Mickey, this is even better.
La Maison Belle Époque
The first stop was La Maison Belle Époque which is considered a prime example of French Art Nouveau and it is owned by a champagne maison characterised by its Art Nouveau branding, Perrier-Jouët. Mind you, this house wasn’t open to the public back in September 2022 when I visited but since the gates were open, I decided to chance it.
I walked confidently and greeted the nice woman by the door expressing my interest in the architectural gem. She explained that it wasn’t open to the "general public" (meaning mortals like myself) so that was that. I removed my general-public-derrière from the property and after a quick Google search, I decided to go to Le Cellier Belle-Époque which is the champagne bar of the brand and it’s just across the road.
UPDATE: According to the Perrier Jouet website you can now enter the Maison Belle Époque for lunch. This could be a good reason to go back. If you've been there, let me know how it was in the comment section.
The Perrier-Jouët Bar
This champagne bar is called Le Cellier Belle-Époque and it is gorgeous, both inside and outside. The outdoor space is a chic terrasse with artsy vibes and a tree with champagne glasses, of course. The gardens are immaculate and there are tables where you can enjoy a glass of bubbles while taking in all of the environment.
Inside, the bar is stunning, decorated with Perrier-Jouët bottles and artwork. You will see the flower motifs of the brand sprinkled everywhere, très magnifique! Here, you can get some light nibbles and of course more champagne. They also serve cocktails that are both tasty and pretty. I recommend a pit stop here to enjoy the vibes.
The next stop was a fab experience to learn more about the wonderful world of champagne.
The Champagne Museum
As a museum lover, this was a must in the itinerary. The Museum of Champagne, Wine and Regional Archaeology is housed in a fantastic building called the Château Perrier and it is also located on the Champagne Avenue.
The museum houses a collection of over 2,000 champagne-related artefacts and presents an in-depth vision of the champagne-making process. I really liked the explanation about the geological aspect of the area -the chalky soil in Champagne is extremely important for the vines. It also includes a section with famous labels and crystal pieces plus you can visit the old cellars. It was amazing, the temperature, the space... I could picture the barrels of champagne stored here.
Bonus points: the museum shop is cute, and it has lovely books, bags, postcards... I mean, look at this beauty. Illustration by Claire Brochot. Château Perrier - Côte Jardin.
I hadn’t started studying the level 3 of WSET back when I visited, still, the information was very approachable. I highly recommend visiting this museum if you want to learn a bit more about the wonderful world of champagne. Alternatively, if you need a super quick guide, read this article with the essential things you need to know about champagne.
After absorbing the culture, it was time to get down to business: sipping champagne baby!
The Moët & Chandon visit
Super important, if you want to tour the cellars, book in advance. The first time I was in Épernay the tours were sold out. You can still access the store and take a pic with the Dom Pérignon statue but for the complete experience, do get organised and book in advance.
As with the other champagne houses, you can choose the category of the tour you want to experience. For this occasion, I chose the Grand Vintage experience which included the visit to the cellars plus the tasting of 2 millésime cuvées: Grand Vintage Rosé 2006 and Grand Vintage 2013. If you need a refresher on champagne terms or are wondering what is a millésime, read this.
The visit started with a masterclass on how to correctly pronounce Moët & Chandon. Hint: you need to pronounce the “&” in French like "et". Yes Karen, you knew this... I didn't so I'm proud to say that now I know.
We proceeded to the cellars where our guide Clothilde, explained the history of the Moët & Chandon Maison and the champagne-making process. She was truly an outstanding guide, and super knowledgeable. Clothilde if you are reading this, you are a star!
At the end of the cellar visit, we were ushered to the gardens for the tasting (yum). There was a gazebo in the middle of the manicured gardens, the birds were singing and you could hear the calming sound of running water from a fountain, très magnifique! This was a moment. It was giving VIP champagne experience and made the tasting feel more intimate.
The sips at Moët & Chandon
We tasted 2 wonderful champagnes, both were blends of the 3 main grapes in Champagne but with different proportions. Each grape variety contributes different things to the cuvée. For a general overview of this, check out the 'Aromas & Flavours' section of this article.
Grand Vintage Rosé 2006
This rosé champagne has the following proportions in the blend:
47% Pinot Noir
33% Chardonnay
20% Pinot Meunier
Wow. Gingerbread, cherry, plum, dried rose and even herbal notes and minerality. This champagne is complex, structured and elegant. This is a party on your palate with a long finish. I’m obsessed. If you are into Parker points, this cuvée scored 94/100.
Grand Vintage 2013
This champagne has the following blend:
41% of Chardonnay
38% Pinot Noir
21% Pinot Meunier
Doing some research I discovered that this vintage reflects the autumn aromas of 2013 since the grapes were exceptionally picked in October. It had a golden colour with persistent bubbles and a delicate mousse. I loved the bread notes along with pear, lemon, white flowers and a hint of grapefruit. This is a lively champagne with delicate acidity and fine structure.
Moët & Chandon is owned by the LVMH group, which also owns Dom Pérignon. While being at their house in Épernay I wondered… would they serve Dom Pérignon by the glass?
Dom Pérignon by the glass
Yes, they did!
Listen, I live in Dublin and Dom Pérignon by the glass is nowhere to be found, so I was thrilled. Why you may ask? Well, Dom Pérignon is a millésime champagne that is only made in extraordinary years. It has a rigorous process of production and it is released after 8 years (minimum) in the cellar.
It is something truly special and comes with a price that matches the work required to create it. So tasting it by the glass was the perfect opportunity to experience it in a bougie-on-a-budget manner.
The cherry on top
To enhance the experience, they offer the perfect pairing, caviar. I decided to go all out and live my best life, give me the Dom Pérignon and the caviar! This was my splurge moment of the trip, 10 out of 10. I was super happy, after all, life is short and you only live once.
Dom Pérignon vintage 2012
To appreciate this champagne it is important to mention that 2012 was a wild vintage, marked by difficult climate conditions that had a strong impact on the vineyard and on the yields (quantity of grapes) which were on the lower side. Despite all the challenges, 2012 was a fab vintage for champagne.
This champagne had it all. Floral notes, apricot, plum and even a smokey note. The toasty notes on the mouth were fab with even a hint of tobacco. Wow. This was a complex champagne with a superb finish. One word comes to mind to describe it: Mindblowing. This could easily be my favourite champagne to date. *chefs kiss*
Dom Pérignon Rosé vintage 2008
This was the other cuveé offered by the glass. I didn't taste this one -Let's be real, "you only live once and life is short" but you still have a budget (remember the bougie-on-a-budget part?)
The assemblage of this champagne is 59% Pinot Noir & 41% Chardonnay and it was matured in the cellars for 10 years on the lees. This champagne is very sought after due to the uniqueness of the vintage which was characterised by the presence of grey, cloudy skies -not ideal. On a plot twist, during September, the conditions improved radically and as a result, the vines were healthy & the grapes were riper than expected, creating the potential for a superb wine.
The staff at Moët & Chandon was lovely, I can’t recommend this experience enough. And if you are there, do have a glass of Dom Pérignon, you might discover your new fave.
Au Revoir Épernay
From Moët & Chandon I headed straight to the train station to catch the 6 pm train to Strasbourg and the memories of that glass of Dom Pérignon lingered throughout the journey. Épernay is a city filled with champagne experiences. Even if you only have a few hours, there are loads that you can see (and drink) here.
Are you still in the mood for bubbly? Me too! Drop a comment to say which are your favourite bubbles and follow The Wine Snug on social media to keep up with all things wine.
Post alert, coming soon: Come with me to Strasbourg where there are more wine adventures to be had.
Cin-cin.