Champagne and Alsace Wine Escape

At a glance

Trip Summary

Your visits to two small producers will offer a diverse range of tastings to compare Champagnes from different regions. The tour will pause at lunchtime for a three course meal in a local restaurant, with a glass of wine, water and coffee. The tour day will end in style at a large, prestigious Champagne House in Epernay. This will usually be Champagne Mercier or Champagne De Castellane, and after a full tour of the estate and cellars, a flute of Champagne will conclude your visit.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel. Day three offers you the chance to visit your favourite Champagne Houses in Reims. Subject to your dates of travel / availability, options include Taittinger, where two Champagnes will be served, GH Mumm to taste their Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs Champagnes, Pommery to sample two Champagnes, Ruinart to taste Ruinart Blanc de Blancs or Ruinart rosé followed by their flagship Prestige Cuvée Dom Ruinart, white or rosé, and Veuve Clicquot, to enjoy a flute of their celebrated La Grande Dame. Walking distances to the Champagne Houses can be up to 25 minutes, therefore you may prefer to ask your hotel to arrange a taxi for you on the day. Please note that some of these Houses (particularly Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart) are very popular and offer very few tours, therefore early booking is essential.

You will have some free time for lunch in Reims. After lunch, a pre-booked and pre-paid taxi will pick you up from the hotel and take you to Champagne-Ardenne station, on time for your train to Colmar via Strasbourg. The journey time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Upon arrival in Colmar, make your way to the 4* Hostellerie le Maréchal, ideally located in the picturesque Little Venice quarter, and check into your Standard room. In the evening, a three course dinner will be served in the traditional French restaurant of the hotel. Your dinner will be accompanied by an apéritif and two glasses of local wines.

On the morning of day four, meet your English-speaking driver/guide at a central departure point for a full day transported wine tour in the Alsatian vineyards. There will be a maximum of eight people on the tour. You will be taken to four different wineries located in various areas and will learn about the unique wines of the region as well as gaining an insight into the local wine making process. At each estate, you will be welcomed by the cellar master or a member of the family, and you will enjoy a guided tasting session of the estate’s wines. You will also be taken to a picturesque village where you will be given some free time for lunch and to explore your lovely surroundings independently. At the end of such an enlightening day, you will be transported back to Colmar. You will have a free evening to do as you please.

Region Map

Outline Itinerary

Day Three

• After breakfast, check out of the hotel.
• Walk to your favourite prestigious Champagne House in Reims for a full tour of the estate and cellars and a flute or two of their Champagne. Options include Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, GH Mumm and Pommery.
• You will have some free time for lunch in Reims.
• In the afternoon, you will be transferred by pre-booked and pre-paid taxi to Champagne-Ardennes station, on time to board the 15:35 train, arriving in Colmar at 17:51 (via Strasbourg).
• Upon arrival in Colmar, check into your Standard room at the Hostellerie le Maréchal.
• In the evening, a three course traditional French dinner including drinks will be served in the hotel’s gourmet restaurant.

Day Four

• After breakfast, meet your English-speaking guide at a central departure point in the city centre.
• Your tour day will consist of a full day tour in the Alsatian vineyards, with tours and tastings at four different wineries where you will witness the century-old wine making process. The tastings will be commented by the cellar master or by members of the family.
• You will be given some free time for lunch in a quaint little village where you will also be able to enjoy the small boutiques and the lovely atmosphere of the Alsatian countryside.
• You will be taken back to Colmar at the end of the day.
• As always, we would be pleased to reserve you a table for dinner if required.

Final Day

• 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 completed booking form, 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

• These prices are per person and based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
• These are realistic guide prices, based on travel in standard season (usually April to the end of October). Considerable discounts often apply for travel out of season (usually November to the end of March) or if there are more than two of you travelling together. Please let us know your preferred travel dates for a definitive price.
• 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.

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