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The Petite Montagne & the Marne Valley are the best places to sample Pinot Meunier, and are mostly populated with Premier Cru villages, which includes Cumières, Damery, Hautvillers, Dizy, Mareuil sur Ay, Epernay, Pierry. Here you will discover some amazing and inexpensive champagnes. If we pick you up from Paris or CDG airport in the West, this area is en route and worth a visit for Champagne and for those interested a visit to the WW1 American Monument and Bellau woods in Château-Thierry. Embark on a custom-planned private car tour and the following is one idea of what you might expect.

Visit 1 ▸  Cellar visit and tasting at Moet et Chandon
Drive through the picturesque Scenic Route du Champagnes to Epernay, which dates back to the end of the first Iron Age and has the second largest concentration of major Champagne houses and 110 kilometres of cellars. Begin your day with a guided tour and tasting in English at the world-renowned Grande Maison - Champagne Moët & Chandon then stroll along the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay for a tasting at Perrier-Jouët during the summer months.

Visit 2 ▸  Visit Dom Perignon's Tomb
A short drive to the charming flower-filled village of Hautvillers, with sweeping views of the Marne River valley to visit the tomb of Dom Perignon.

Visit 3 ▸  Immersive Visit & Paired Cold Gourmet Meunier Lunch at a Family Vineyard
Enjoy an domaine visit, short walk in the vines ending with a 3 course cold gourmet picnic paired with three Meunier dominant cuvées.

Visit 4 ▸  Vineyard Visit and See Chateau Boursault
En route to your final visit and tasting at another family producer stop to see the magnificent Chateau de Boursault built by Madame Clicquot Ponsardin in honor of the marriage of her grand daughter in 1839.



Reims

In the late 17th century, Benedictine monk Pierre Perignon a.k.a Dom Perignon, at the age of 28 years old was appointed cellar master at the Benedictine abbey of Hautvillers.

Perignon is often attributed with the invention of Champagne, however nearly everything written about him is myth started by Dom Grossard about 100 years after Pierre Perignon died in order to help market the wine of the region at which time Champagne had been invented.

Bubbles in the wine were considered an imperfection and he dedicate his life to improving the quality through blending grapes from different vineyards, and to control the potential of re-fermentation, which made the wine fizz. Wine was very big business and an important source of income for the Church and the King so the goal of creating a top quality wine was paramount.

Perignon spent most of his time blending grapes from different vineyards, mixing wines from different harvests, to improve the overall quality, consistency, and uniformity of the wine. He dedicated his life to creating a perfect wine, which would be able to compete with the country's finest wines. It was from his innovative work blending different grapes that formed the basis of the wine used in Champagne.

When Pérignon died in 1715, Perignon was buried in a section of the abbey cemetery traditionally reserved only for abbots. In 1794 Claude Moet bought the walls and the vineyards of the former Abbey of Hautvillers.

Pinot Meunier grapes are similar in color to pinot noir, with bluish-black skins and tight clusters. Its shoots often have a powdery white appearance due to the white hairs that grow along its surface. Unlike pinot noir, meunier is less susceptible to mildew. It is also far more resistant to grape diseases, most notably Eutypa dieback, than chardonnay. Pinot Meunier accounts for about 35% of the Champagne region's grapes. It is most prevalent in the Marne Valley, and the Aisne department. It's a robust grape variety, cold-weather resistance, well suited to the variable soils of the Marne Valley, and does not to have as significant ageing potential.

Moet
Moet is the top selling Champagne in the world. founded in 1743 and served Louis XV and the royal court. Today the company holds a royal warrant from Queen Elizabeth II. Moet launched its first vintage in 1842. Moet owns the largest vineyard area in Champagne and produces approximately 28 million bottles a year, stored a 28 kilometre cellar complex.

Mercier
30 meters down the chalky soil board a little train and travel across a part of the 18 kms-long cellars then return to the surface for a flute of Champagne.

Billecart Salmon
Billecart Salmon is a prestige mid-size brand located in Mareuil sur Aÿ, where one can find some of the best plots of grapes in Champagne. The area combines the perfect conditions for the optimal growth of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.Billecart Salmon is a prestige mid-size brand located in Mareuil sur Aÿ, where one can find some of the best plots of grapes in Champagne. The area combines the perfect conditions for the optimal growth of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.