Both a celebratory drink and a beautiful region of France, Champagne is worth exploring – in more ways than one. Here's a round up of the cellar doors to visit (and what to pick up while you're there), where to lay your head and our picks of where to dine.

CELLAR DOORS

Pommery
Madame Louise Pommery presided over one of the 
most spectacular of Reims’ historic cellars. Across the road, her magnificent former home is now Les Crayères hotel, which has a Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Parc.
Drink now Summertime Blanc de Blancs
Cellar Cuvée Louise

Cellar Doors to Visit and Where to Stay and Eat in Champagne

Dom Pérignon
The spiritual home of the famous winemaking monk 
is the Abbaye Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers, which is 
open to the public. While 
you’re there, visit the adjacent 
Dom Pérignon museum.
Drink now 1998 P2
Cellar 2006 Vintage

Perrier-Jouët
The story of artist Emile Gallé’s Belle Époque bottle is fascinating; the wine equally so.
Drink now Grand Brut
Cellar Belle Époque Blanc

G. H. Mumm
This is very much a working cellar, with fascinating presentations showing the nitty-gritty of champagne-making.
Drink now NV Cordon Rouge
Cellar Cuvée R. Lalou

Cellar Doors to Visit and Where to Stay and Eat in Champagne

Canard-Duchêne
Tucked away in the 
Montagne de Reims village 
of Ludes, this park-like property offers an 
interactive self-guided 
tour of the deep chalk 
cellars.
Drink now Charles VII 
Blanc de Noirs
Cellar Cuvée Leonie 
Green Organic

STAY

Hotel Les Avisés
Set on the renowned Jacques Selosse estate in the heart of 
the Côte des Blancs hills, this charming 10-room hotel with Neoclassical bones has a restful, contemporary feel. It’s replete with Mid-century Modern furnishings, a brand-new spa, 
a Wellsystem HydroJet massage space and bikes (both pedal and electric) to hire. The spacious Salute room is the pick with its vineyard views, loft and lounge. On selected evenings and Saturday mornings, guests have the opportunity to do a tasting 
(in French) with winemakers Anselme and Guillaume Selosse.
59 rue de Cramant, Avize 
 

Cellar Doors to Visit and Where to Stay and Eat in Champagne

Château de Rilly
This boutique hotel in a 19th-
century champagne house manages to be both grand 
and intimate and its location, 
a 20-minute drive from Épernay, is idyllic. It’s surrounded by vineyards on the Champagne Route, on the doorstep of 
Parc Naturel Régional de la Montagne de Reims with its forested hiking trails. Of the 
15 immaculate guestrooms, choose one on the second floor with a terrace overlooking the vines. For dinner, the eight-course Menu Sensation offers quintessential French flavours such as truffled foie gras with fruit brioche. In fine weather, have breakfast on the spacious terrace with garden views.
38 rue de Reims, Rilly-la-Montagne 

Cellar Doors to Visit and Where to Stay and Eat in Champagne

If you don’t want to drive…

Sparkling Tour
The full-day Discovery itinerary with Sparkling Tour gives maximum insight into the region, the art 
of champagne and the different styles of this sparkling wine while spending minimum time on the road. The tour visits three producers – tastings range from vintage and zéro dosage champagnes to rosé, blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs and fût 
de chêne – and includes lunch in 
a Michelin-starred restaurant.

EAT

For breakfast and coffee

PÂTISSERIE 
VINCENT DALLET
Before you stroll along the avenue de Champagne, fuel up with an espresso and exquisite Viennoiserie from Maison Dallet. When you’ve made 
your choice, the uniformed 
staff will put your selection on 
a silver tray. Fittingly, there are champagne macarons and baba Champenois with a dropper containing local liqueur fine de la Marne plunged into the base.
26 rue du Général Leclerc, Épernay

For lunch

BISTROT LE 7
The more relaxed bistro offshoot of Michelin-starred 
Les Berceaux is a cosy affair 
with terracotta walls, parquetry floors and starched white tablecloths. With finesse and elegant simplicity, chef Patrick Michelon creates classic fare such as velvety pink salmon pavé, a wafer of crisp skin floating atop, served with 
a tumble of choucroute and steamed potatoes.
7 rue des Berceaux, Épernay 
  

For dinner

LE PARC
A coveted table in the two-Michelin-starred restaurant’s elegant all-glass rotunda offers spectacular views across the terrace onto the seven-hectare park that surrounds Les Crayères château, built in 1904. Choose the five-course La Découverte menu, where the lacquered pigeon supreme 
with coteaux Champenois 
and vegetable mousseline shows off chef Philippe Mille’s dedication to local produce. Visit in spring to see the vines 
in flower or in autumn for the producers’ market and harvest.
Les Crayères, 64 boulevard Henry Vasnier, Reims

Cellar Doors to Visit and Where to Stay and Eat in Champagne

For taking home

ENTRE CAVE ET JARDIN
The picturesque hillside 
village of Hautvillers is not 
only Dom Pérignon’s resting place but also home to an impressive collection of vintage champagne buckets. One look at the display case at antiques specialist Entre Cave et Jardin, which also offers champagne tastings and workshops, and you’ll be wanting to add a silver-plated 1920s Pol Roger piece to your drinks cabinet.
178 rue Henri Martin, Hautvillers 
 +33 3 26 59 39 81

SEE ALSO: Sojurn in Champagne

Top image: Hotel Les Avisés

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