The Champagne wine region is a wine region within the historical province of Champagne in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name.
The name Champagne refers equally to the region and the wine it produces. Champagne only comes from Champagne.
Find out the secret behind that bond – why the world’s most feted wines are so intimately linked to their land of origin. Explore the vineyards and meet the Champagne professionals who will be your hosts, each one of them approved by the Comité Champagne or Tourist Board.
Meet the winemakers – Growers, Champagne Houses and Cooperatives – and learn first-hand what makes Champagne wines so special. Use the details here as the basis for your travel plan, so you visit different production areas in turn and taste the wines made by different wineries. It is always possible to buy direct from the winery – so favourite Champagne wines can be taken home as souvenirs and sipped at leisure.
Champagne Wine Trails
Reims
The 13th century cathedral of Reims has sanctified the coronation of most of the French kings. It is renowned for its pure Gothic architecture and ornate sculptures of which the most famous is undoubtedly the Smiling Angel. The Romanesque Basilica of Saint-Rémi is equally exceptional.
Epernay
The town of Epernay is entirely surrounded by vines. Walk down the Avenue de Champagne, with its magnificent mansion façades and opulent middle-class homes occupied by famous Champagne Houses, and you can see why Epernay competes for the title of ‘Capital of Champagne’.
Marne Valley
The most attractive part of the Marne river, which is 525kms long, is without a doubt the point at which it flows through the Champagne vineyards. The town of Château-Thierry (home of ]ean de la Fontaine who has inspired a museum and an annual festival) is surrounded by welcoming villages: Crouttes, Charly, Nogent-l’Artaud, Romeny-sur-Marne (visited by countless impressionist painters), Condé-en-Brie (castle of the princes of Condé), Mézy-Moulins (fine church) and many more.
Cotes des Bar
The pleasant, rolling landscape around Bar-sur-Seine (church and ancient lanes) is dotted with typical villages: Essoyes (home of the painter Auguste Renoir), Les Riceys (old houses), Mussy-sur-Seine (church and castle), Noë-les-Mallets (spectacular view).
Coteaux Vitryants
This route through the hills in and around Vitry is a great new way for visitors to Champagne to discover the vineyards in the region of Vitry and the Lac du Der.