Premium Champagne Tour with Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon

At a glance

**IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR 2023/4**

Our small group Premium tours have been temporarily suspended, however we are delighted to continue to arrange these itineraries on a private, bespoke basis for a minimum of two guests. If you would like us to put together a tailor-made proposal based on our Premium Champagne tour itinerary and your own preferred Champagne Houses please contact us at info@grapeescapes.net or give us a call on +44 (0) 1920 46 86 66.

Trip Summary

On Friday morning, a chauffeured mini-coach and your Grape Escapes guide will collect you from your hotel and accompany you throughout the day on an unforgettable tour. The first visit of the day will take place at the estate of Champagne Bollinger in the village of Ay, for an exclusive tour of their cellars, and a tasting session of three Bollinger Champagnes.

You will then be taken out into the picturesque vineyards, where you will start your second tour of the day as the guests of a small, family-run Champagne House. As well as having a tour of the property with the estate’s charming and charismatic eighth generation owner and seeing first-hand the fascinating Champagne-making process from press to bottle, you will learn the Napoleonic art of Sabrage (the art of opening the Champagne bottle with a sword). Since you will each open a bottle you will then need to drink at least some of the Grand Cru Champagnes that have been opened.  A four course lunch will accompany the Champagne, served in the estate’s dining room. In the afternoon, you will visit a medium-sized co-operative, which produces excellent quality Champagnes from the Vallée de la Marne. Here, you will discover Champagne production on a more industrial scale, and your tour will conclude with a delicious Champagne and chocolate pairing experience.

The first stop on Saturday will be Champagne Veuve Clicquot. The Signature visit includes a full tour of the House, which was built over the historic chalk crayères extracted by the Romans, and of the cellars. The visit will conclude with a flute of the famous Yellow Label Champagne as well as a flute of the latest Veuve Clicquot vintage. The tour at Veuve Clicquot will be followed by a gourmet four course lunch in a highly-regarded restaurant.

Before heading to Epernay after lunch, we will take a short detour to the famous hilltop village of Hautvillers, the “cradle of Champagne.” As well as admiring the spectacular views across the vineyards, your guide will take you on a tour of the village, visiting places such as the Church where Dom Pérignon is buried. Finally, you will visit the largest and grandest Champagne house, Moët and Chandon, where you will have an exclusive Dom Pérignon tour. You will be visiting some of the oldest areas of the cellars which are seldom visited by the public and a tasting of Dom Pérignon will conclude the visit in an elegant reception room at the Moët mansion.

Region Map

Outline Itinerary

Day Two of your Premium Champagne Tour

• After breakfast, you will be met at the hotel by a chauffeured mini-coach and an English-speaking guide. Your tour day will comprise of:
• A visit to Champagne Bollinger for an exclusive tour of the estate, and tastings of three Bollinger Champagnes.
• A tour and convivial lunch at a small, family-run Champagne House. Here, you will also learn Sabrage!
• A visit to a medium-sized co-operative for a tour and Champagne and chocolate pairing experience.

Day Three of your Premium Champagne Tour

• In the morning, your chauffeur and guide will return to accompany you on a second day of tours. Your tour day will comprise of:
• A visit to Champagne Veuve Clicquot for a cellar tour and two tastings, including the latest Veuve Clicquot vintage.
• A gourmet four course lunch with drinks at a highly-regarded restaurant.
• A short tour of the beautiful hilltop village of Hautvillers with a stop at the church where Dom Pérignon is buried.
• An exclusive Dom Pérignon tour at Moët and Chandon with a flute of Dom Pérignon Champagne.

Final Day of your Premium Champagne Tour

• After a leisurely breakfast, check out of the hotel.

(ii) The outline itinerary is indicative and is subject to minor changes depending on supplier availability. Availability cannot be guaranteed until we have received a confirmed booking, together with the deposit payment (or payment in full where the dates of travel are in less than 60 days). If the named accommodation / visits are not available, we will endeavour to find suitable alternatives of a similar grade; this may be subject to a supplement or a rebate depending on the price available.

Package Prices

• The above prices are per person and based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
• Although we propose specific hotels as part of our standard packages, we enjoy excellent relationships and preferential rates at the majority of the hotels in each of our featured destinations. Therefore if you would prefer to stay in a different hotel, this can be arranged. Please contact us for the relevant supplements/discounts.
• Other room grades are available at most of the hotels that we work with. Just let us know which hotel you prefer and we will send you the relevant supplements for the various room grades.
• Single supplements and extra night prices are available upon request.

Enhance your Experience/Tour Upgrades

Further Information