The Champagne region is situated in eastern France, close to both the Belgium and Luxembourg borders and is one of the coldest of France’s major wine regions and home to the most famous of all wine names in the world; its major sparkling wine “Champagne”. The Champagne wine region is only 100 miles east of Paris and can be reached quite easily via train to one of the two commercial cities; Reims and/or Épernay. It is generally divided into three parts - the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. The Aube, 70 miles to the southeast, is important for wines they produce that go into many of the nonvintage blends of the major champagne houses. 

Despite the frequency of military conflicts that led to foreign armies trapsing across the vineyards, the region has developed a reputation for quality wine production going all the way back to the Middle Ages. The Champagne region was able to continue this reputation as the region’s producers began making sparkling wine with the advent of the great Champagne houses in the 17th & 18th century. The principal grapes grown in the region include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. The Champagne house of Gosset was founded as a still wine producer in 1584 and is the oldest Champagne house still in operation today. Ruinart was founded in 1729 and was soon followed by Taittinger (1734), Moët et Chandon (1743) and Veuve Clicquot (1772).

Whether situated in the larger towns or set among the vineyards, the Champagne Houses provide insight into the world of Champagne from the day the structures came into being until the present day’s worldwide prominence and popularity. Visitors are welcome and proudly shown around the cellars, estates and tasting rooms where explanations are given as to how the champagne is made, from the picking of the grapes to the bottling process to the distribution networks.

Wine tourism in Champagne is not difficult, even for those who don’t speak the language. Dozens of signposted trails titled, “La Route Touristique du Champagne” allow you to travel from one Champagne house to the next, should you venture out in your own transportation. There are many guides and tours available (see our tours section) that can allow you to sample all the champagne you want without the risk of driving.

The worldwide demand for Champagne has been continuously increasing throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. A record in worldwide shipping of Champagne of 327 million bottles was set in 1999 in anticipation of end of millennium celebrations, and a new record was set in 2007 at 338.7 million bottles.

Please bare with us as we complete this portion of our site. If you have any suggestions for wine related tourism operators, please send me an email at rich@sunflowerwinetours.com