Suggestions for 2 top Reims Champagne tours
Champagne bottles lying in the chalk cellars beneath Reims - Source: Wine Keller
A visit to France’s world-famous champagne capital, Reims and our experience of the Pommery champagne tour and the Taittinger champagne tour
Visiting the region of Champagne in France, home to the iconic sparkling wine, champagne, is one of the most top-rated wine tourism experiences, anywhere in the world.
If you’re a wine enthusiast and enjoy being a wine tourist, then doing a champagne tour at one of the world-famous champagne houses has to be somewhere near the top of your wish-list! It certainly has to be ‘on’ the list!
Visit Champagne, France - one of the top wine tourism experiences
The region’s top Champagne houses are major global luxury brands and wine tourism is an essential part of their product. They want people to visit their house, or their ‘maison’ and explore the cellars, learn about their history and of course sample their champagne.
The whole region of Champagne, with its three champagne towns of Reims, Epernay, and Aÿ, was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2015. See here to learn more about the Champagne region and champagne.
Champagne tasting in Reims - Source: Wine Keller
Reims - the capital of the Champagne region
Reims (often spelt Rheims in English) is the capital of the champagne wine industry and many of the famous ‘champagne houses’ - or ‘les grandes marques’ and ‘grandes maisons de Champagne’ are located here. In fact there are around 200 kilometres of chalk tunnels under and around Reims, that house millions of bottles of champagne!
So if you want to discover the region of Champagne, then spend a day or two in Reims. As well as wonderful wine and gastronomy, Reims offers lots for the lovers of art, culture and history too! See later…
To discover more about the region’s famous wine, ‘Reims champagne’ is a great place to start. The champagne houses below are all located in Reims, with others situated around the town:
Experience two of the best champagne tours in Reims
We have enjoyed two separate Reims champagne tours and tastings - at Domaine Pommery and Maison Taittinger - quite different experiences, but both incredibly informative and enjoyable.
Read about both champagne tours below, followed by some information about visiting Reims.
Domaine Pommery champagne tour and cellar visit
The entrance to Domaine Pommery in Reims - Source: Wine Keller
We were inspired to visit Domaine Pommery in Reims when we received a recommendation from a champagne grower who said it offered the ‘best champagne tour’ experience - and when it featured in Decanter’s list of ‘Europe in 12 top winery visits’, we knew we had to visit!
Decanter rated Pommery highly for the ‘non-wine’ elements of the tour, in particular the art displays, which feature all year round and helps a Pommery champagne tour appeal to a wide audience - not just wine lovers.
About Domaine Pommery
Domaine Pommery is one of the oldest and most prominent champagne houses and most well-known champagne brands in the world. It is owned today by the Vranken-Pommery Monopole Group, one of the largest champagne groups in the world.
Domaine Pommery’s huge 50 hectare estate is located close to the famous Reims Cathedral and just a 30 minute’s walk from the train station. As well as the main Pommery house, built in an impressive Elizabethan, neo-gothic style, there are 18 km of underground cellars and 60 Gallo-Roman chalk pits, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In front of the Pommery House, is the magnificent mansion, ‘Villa Demoiselle’, an ‘Art Deco’ and ‘Art Nouveau’ treasure trove, lovingly restored by owners Nathalie and Paul-Francois Vranken.
The history of Pommery Champagne
The Pommery champagne house was founded in 1836 by Alexandre-Louis Pommery. After his death in 1838, his widow took over the reins, Madame Jeanne-Alexandrine Pommery and she set about buying the best vineyards and creating the highest quality champagne, for exporting all across the world. Similar to the story behind the Veuve Clicquot champagne brand (‘Veuve’ is ‘widow’ in French), the story behind the hugely successful Pommery brand centres around the vision, creativity and business acumen of a single woman!
Mme Pommery was responsible for developing the company’s luxury brand image, that is maintained today and for building a hugely successful, global enterprise. She also succeeded in creating a champagne style, renowned for its uncompromising quality.
The famous Pommery chalk pits
With business booming, Mme Pommery knew she needed to expand her cellar space and winemaking facilities and struck upon the incredible idea to transform old chalk pits, called ‘crayères’, located then just outside the Reims city walls on the Hill of Sainte-Nicaise, into a huge network of cellars. She embarked upon the massive construction project in 1868 to construct all of the new buildings and dig the 18 km of interconnected galleries linking the 60 old chalk pits together. This project took 10 years to complete.
The first official visit to the Pommery Estate was in 1879, fulfilling Mme Pommery’s dream of opening up her champagne estate for the world to share it. This underground network of chalk pits and galleries provide the ideal storage environment for champagne - a constant temperature of a cool 10°c and 98% humidity.
The Pommery Estate Vineyards
As part of this project Mme Pommery planted 25 hectares of vineyards on the site, which today form part of the estate. These take the form of 3 rare, walled, vineyard plots called ‘clos’. Today, named the ‘Clos Pompadour’, these vineyards produce very rare and unique champagnes, which are only available in magnum bottles.
The famous Pommery Brut Royal Champagne - Source: Wine Keller
Pommery Brut champagne
Mme Pommery succeeded in creating a house champagne style, renowned for its uncompromising quality, purity and finesse, which again, is maintained today. Additionally, in 1974, Mme Pommery was responsible for the first commercially successful ‘brut' or ‘dry’ champagne, breaking away from the tradition of sweet champagne. Today, ‘Pommery Brut Royal’ is the brand’s signature champagne style.
For more information about the range of Pommery champagnes see here.
What you experience on a Pommery self-guided champagne tour
Tour options
There are several tour options available and you can book all online in advance.
You can choose to visit just the Domaine Pommery and cellars, or you can combine it with a visit to Villa Demoiselle. There are a range of wine tasting options too. We did a self-guided tour of Domaine Pommery, with a tasting of Brut Royal champagne for 24 euro per ticket.
We received a paper guide as well as instructions to download the Pommery tour app on our phones, which was very easy to do. We slowly followed the tour, referring to our paper guide as well as listening to the audio commentary via the app.
The Carnot Cellar and Émile Gallé Tun
The tour starts in a huge reception hall, called the Carnot Cellar, where you also have the wine tasting, in our case, a glass of Pommery Brut Royal! It’s up to you whether you do the tasting before or after your tour of the cellars.
The main feature of this impressive reception hall is a huge barrel called the ‘Émile Gallé’ Tun. Ordered by Mme Pommery for blending her wines, it had a capacity of 75,000 litres - or 100,000 bottles! Significantly, it was shipped (in parts) from France to Missouri in the US, to represent and showcase Pommery at the 1904 World Fair and the sculptor Émile Gallé, was commissioned to decorate the tun’s façade for the occasion. The carvings on this huge barrel are really impressive to see up close!
The Grand Staircase
One of the most impressive aspects of the tour is standing at the top of theGrand Staircase, consisting of 116 steps, taking you down to the cellars 30 metres below. The beauty and incredible design of this staircase is further highlighted and magnified by an amazing sound and light ‘art’ display.
Bas-relief sculptures
At the foot of the staircase, you can admire the incredible sculptures, commissioned by Mme Pommery herself and testament to her love of art as well as wine.
Wander through the famous cellar galleries and chalk pits
During the self-guided tour you get to spend time in some of the famous, immense chalk pits and wander through some of the 18km of interconnecting galleries. Marvel at these huge ancient chalk pits, which feature amazing sculptures and works of art. Each of the galleries are named after famous cities around the world, reflecting Mme Pommery’s idea to demonstrate where in the world Pommery champagne was available to purchase.
We were blown away by the architecture of the chalk pits and galleries and really enjoyed the amazing art displays around the route. Of course we were more than impressed by the sheer number of champagne bottles lining the walls and to see how they were moved around the cellars in the industrial era, via a ‘rack and pinion’ system, which was still being used up until about 1970!
The Pommery shop - or oenothèque
At the end of our tour we spent some time in the fabulous shop, where you can not only buy the Pommery champagne but lots of lovely gifts too.
Exploring the Pommery Estate
It was lovely to walk around the grounds in front of the main Pommery House and again, marvel at the various works of art and sculptures. There is a restaurant on the estate and of course you can also visit the famous ‘Villa Demoiselle’, which we decided to return for, some time soon!
Conclusion and personal highlights of our Pommery champagne tour
We felt that the cost of our tour, at 24 euros, represented excellent value for money.
The tour was easy to follow and you could do it at your own pace. It provided an excellent insight into, not just the Pommery story and the legacy of the incredible Mme Pommery, but the wider Champagne industry and its fascinating history. The opportunity to gain an appreciation for this famous and prestigious champagne brand was matched by the opportunity to appreciate some fabulous art as well. Overall, it was an amazing and very enjoyable experience. Our tour lasted about 2 hours.
Taittinger champagne tour and cellar visit
A Maison Taittinger champagne tour is quite a different experience to the Domaine Pommery tour experience, but that’s why it’s great to experience both!
Taittinger is more of a formal tour - not just because it’s a guided tour, rather than self-guided, and it doesn’t include the ‘art’ experience that Pommery delivers - but the whole ambience is more formal. This isn’t a criticism, it’s just different - and you really come away with a sense of reverence and respect for the history, status and quality at Taittinger.
Taittinger Champagne - Source: Wine Keller
About Maison Taittinger
Maison Taittinger, with origins dating back to 1734, is very much a family business, which is now quite unusual for the large Champagne houses. Today, Taittinger is managed by Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger along with his son Clovis and daughter Vitalie.
Taittinger is the third largest vineyard owner in the Champagne region, with 288 hectares of prestigious vineyards, located between the ‘Côte des Blancs’, the ‘Vallée de la Marne’ and the ‘Montagne de Reims’.
Famous Taittinger chalk cellars
Similar to Pommery, the Taittinger cellars are deep underground in what used to be the ancient (4th century) Gallo-Roman chalk pits under Reims. What makes Taittinger unique is that its cellars are also in the remains of the 13th century Saint-Nicaise Abbey.
Although demolished in the 19th century, its vaults and ancient, underground chalk quarries dating from the Gallo-Roman era remained remarkably intact. Today, they house a portion of Taittinger Champagne’s production, including the famous cuvée the ‘Comtes de Champagne’.
Taittinger champagne
Taittinger is one of the most popular ‘Grandes Marques’ houses and its signature style is quite unique, due to a higher proportion of Chardonnay grapes in its cuvée blends. This gives Taittinger champagne an unparalleled elegance and finesse.
The flagship Taittinger champagnes are the Blanc de blancs (100% Chardonnay) Comtes de Champagne and Comtes de Champagne Rosé (100% Pinot Noir). The exceptional Chardonnay grapes are grown on the slopes south of Epernay - the famous Côte des Blancs region. These are very special vintage wines and represent the top wines from the Champagne region.
Taittinger champagne tour
The Taittinger tour is guided and lasts approximately an hour. There is no self-guided option. We booked our tour in advance online.
The tour consists of an introductory video explaining more about Maison Taittinger, followed by a tour of the famous chalk cellars and an explanation of the winemaking process. The visit ends with the champagne tasting. There are several different tasting options, but the lowest cost tour price is currently 27 euros, which includes tasting a glass of Brut Réserve Taittinger champagne.
Conclusion and personal highlights of our Taittinger champagne tour
As mentioned earlier, the Taittinger champagne tour is quite different to the Pommery tour, but equally enjoyable and informative. The best part for us was descending into the amazing ancient chalk ‘cathedral’ cellars amongst the remains of the 13th century Abbey.
The atmosphere and setting is very special.
Useful information for visiting Reims in Champagne
As well as being the ‘Champagne Capital’, Reims has a unique and rich historical heritage and is also known as the ‘Coronation City’. Spend time here for the champagne and the gastronomy certainly, but also spend time appreciating the sites and monuments, depicting the key role Reims played in the history of France.
How to get to Reims
Reims is easy to get to by car. It lies at the crossroads of the Paris - Strasbourg and Calais - Troyes - Dijon motorways.
By TGV train, Reims is just 45 minutes away from Paris. This takes you to the Champagne-Ardenne TGV station, in Bezannes, which then connects to Reims by tram. There is also a city centre rail station, Reims-Centre.
Travelling round Reims is easy by public transport - make sure you buy a ‘Reims city pass’ for unlimited travel on the transport network.
Hotels in Reims
See here for some accommodation options in and around Reims.
What to do in Reims
Every visit to Reims has to include the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, but also the Tau Palace and the Saint Remi Abbey - jointly recognised in 1991, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can enjoy visiting all of these sites with a ‘city pass’. Contact the Reims tourist office for information.
Reims Notre Dame Cathedral
Larger than Notre Dame in Paris and the site of the coronations of 30 French Kings between the 11th and 19th centuries, Reims Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the greatest examples of a Gothic cathedral. King Charles X was the last King to be crowned in Reims in 1825.
There are more than 2000 statues and over 80 amazing stained glass windows in the cathedral, including 4 ‘Rose’ windows, by Marc Chagall, which bathe the cathedral in a wonderful light.
Reims Palais du Tau
After the cathedral, visit the Palais du Tau, the former palace of the Archbishop of Reims and place of residence of the kings of France during their coronation. It is now the cathedral museum.
Reims Saint Remi Abbey
The former Saint-Remi Abbey is now made up of two monuments: the Saint-Remi basilica and the Saint-Remi museum. The basilica interior mixes Gothic and Romanesque styles and is stunning. The museum occupies the Benedictine abbey.
Hill of Sainte-Nicaise
In 2015, the Colline Sainte Nicaise de Reims was also awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status, recognising the incredible ancient chalk pits which form such a key part of the history and story of Champagne - not just in former times, but also today, being the storage place for so many millions of bottles of world-famous champagne!
Even if you decide not to visit one of the famous champagne houses, make sure you wander round this area to experience it and look back at the lovely view of Reims and the towering Notre Dame Cathedral behind you!
View of Reims Cathedral from the Hill of Sainte-Nicaise from Pommery
Enjoy the outdoors and nature
Enjoy the many parks and gardens in Reims and why not explore by bike? There is a pedestrian and cyclist path called ‘La Coulée Verte’ which crosses the city and is a great way to explore by bike.
Explore the Montagne de Champagne
Try to make time to explore the ‘Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park’, a natural park, with vineyards, rivers, valleys and forests, sprinkled with some 65 rural, wine-making villages. There are some 300 km of marked walking paths as well as cycling routes. For more information see here.
View of one of the wonderful villages and the beautiful Montagne de Reims - Source: Wine Keller
Enjoy the Reims gastronomy and lifestyle!
Enjoying the food and wine is naturally a big part of any visit to Reims - see here for ideas on places to dine, places to enjoy a glass of champagne and other events and activities to enjoy, including shopping to buy some of the local produce to take home with you! We enjoyed some wonderful meals at local brasseries, including Saturday brunch outside the market, close to the cathedral, which was wonderful!
For more information about what to see and do in Reims, contact the Reims Tourist Office.
Conclusion
If you love wine, the vineyards and wine life and culture, then you must visit the Champagne region of France - and you must experience one of the great Champagne houses! We loved both of our Reims champagne tours and would highly recommend both of them! We loved learning about the incredible history of Champagne and exploring the fabulous countryside and the champagne capital, Reims. It’s an ideal weekend away, you can sample a good dose of ‘Champagne life’ in 2 days and we know you’d love it!
