Welcome to the famous Champagne region of France!  Only about a 4.5 hour drive from Amsterdam,  this area is often our first choice when we feel like we need a quick getaway and we’re excited to show you some of our favorite places around here.  Filled with great food, beautiful surroundings and of course lots of Champagne there is plenty to see, do and eat here!  Check out our video below or keep reading to learn more!

The champagne region is located in Northeastern France.  It’s only about an hour train ride from Paris, which is hard to believe because the atmosphere here is much calmer and quieter.  The two main cities, Reims and Epernay, serve as cultural and historical hubs, and there are also plenty of small villages to explore.

We’re starting off this trip with a few days in Epernay.  Epernay is well known for its famed Avenue de Champagne. This street holds many of the most famous and beautiful champagne houses.  Here, beneath these opulent estates, lies a hidden world filled with labyrinths of extensive caves, where millions of bottles of the most coveted champagnes are aging, making this street among the most valuable in the world.  

Despite its opulent appearance and fancy reputation, this street is very approachable for tourists and many of the champagne houses open their doors for tastings and tours where you can learn their specialities and more about the champagne making process. 

Our absolute favorite house is a producer called Michel Gonet.  What sets Michel Gonet apart is not only their exceptional champagne, which is among the finest we’ve tasted, but also their approach to production. As a grower-producer, they cultivate all the grapes used in their bottles on their own land, a practice not as common among the larger, more commercial producers. Their long-aged blanc de blancs, made exclusively from white  grapes, are particularly noteworthy.  Here, you’ll experience tasting a very high quality champagne, with very small bubbles, rich taste and only a subtle sweetness as most of their bottles are produced with very low doses of sugar.   On each visit here, we’ve been impressed with the warmth and knowledge of the staff.  This coupled with the serene ambiance of their tasting room, and patio make a visit to Michel Gonet very memorable. 

Walking down the Avenue de Champagne you’ll encounter some of the most famous and well-known champagne houses.  And while we usually prefer the smaller producers, these big houses are definitely worth a visit for their beautiful surroundings and the mazes of caves storing bottles of champagne.  

At the end of the avenue closest to town you’ll find Moet and Chandon, arguably one of the most famous champagnes in the world.  A tour here will take you through one of the most luxurious houses in the area, and showcase their vast 17 miles of chalk cellar tunnels full of bottles developing their flavor and awaiting their time to be sold.

One other favorite house that we have to mention is Leclerc Briant.  Still walkable from the center of Epernay, Leclerc Briant is just a little off the path of the main avenue.  They have a beautiful house and offer tours of their production process followed by an in-depth tasting of some of their most special bottles.  We find Leclerc Briant particularly interesting because they are dedicated to creating Champagne in a biodynamic way, and are often trying brand new techniques, such as aging some of their wine in the sea, in or in gold lined barrels!

While we’ve visited this area quite a few times, we continue to discover new gems and a new discovery on this trip was the house of Comtesse Lafond.  This is another beautiful old house with stunning views of the surrounding nature.  Here you can get a much more intimate tasting experience than you can experience at some of the larger houses.  We enjoyed a great tasting here and especially loved their 2014 vintage.  

Of course, you’ll need some great food to go along with all of this champagne and for that we recommend heading to nearby Reims.  You can get to Reims either by a quick train ride or car ride, and here you’ll find everything from traditional French bistros to bakeries full of freshly baked pastries, and even several Michelin-starred restaurants.  

One of our favorite stops in Reims is a bistro called La Tablier.  Located in the center of Reims this bustling bistro offers a variety of dishes and always feels welcoming.  I’m particularly partial to this place because they offer salads, or at least as close to a healthy salad as you can get in France, which I always feel like I need after a few days here.

Another great traditional bistro is La Brasserie du Boulingrin.  Here they have many indulgent dishes such as fresh oysters and marrow bone, all in a very welcoming and authentic setting.

If you’re looking for something a bit fancier, L’alambic is a great choice.  The bottom level is set in an old cellar which is the perfect ambiance for a meal in Champagne.  On top of the great atmosphere, the food and wine list here are excellent.  We started off our meal with some escargot in a foamy, garlicky sauce.  We had some meaty mains of beef and lamb, both cooked perfectly.  And topped it all off with a dessert of fruity ice cream ensconced in chocolate.  

In addition to the great restaurants, we love to explore the bakeries, cheese shops and wine bars in this area.  You can find tons of great food here.  

A must try is the local Chaource cheese.  This cheese has a rich butter taste from its smooth but slightly crumbly center and is covered with a thin, bloomy rind.  We’re going to use this cheese in an upcoming recipe to make a Spring inspired Chaource and asparagus tart, so keep an eye our for that.

Besides the champagne and the food, Reims is a charming small city with a lot of history and culture.  While you’re in Reims you should also check out some of the local historical landmarks.  

The most famous landmark being the Reims Cathedral.  Located in the center and towering over the city, you can’t miss the Cathedral.  This cathedral served as the coronation site for French Kings for over 1000 years, starting in the year 816.  The original structure suffered a fire, and the cathedral that stands today has been there since the 11th century.  It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is admired for its architectural beauty and detailed interior.

Similar to Epernay, Reims is home to many champagne houses and there are plenty of opportunities to do tastings and visits here as well.  On this trip we particularly enjoyed our visit to G.H. Mumm.  We had a very detailed tour of the history of the house and its cellars and learned that they have created the first champagne that is made for space, which we thought was pretty interesting!  Our tour was followed by a tasting of some of their most prestigious blends.

While Reims and Epernay are the largest areas in this region, it’s definitely worth taking some time to explore the nearby smaller villages while you’re visiting.  One that we suggest is the village of Hautvillers.  Hautvillers is famous for being the home, and now the burial place of Dom Perignon.  Dom Pérignon served as the cellar master at the Abbey of Hautvillers from 1668 until his death in 1715 and is considered to be the father of champagne.  Today you can visit the abbey and pay respects at his burial site. 

Beyond the abbey, the village is a charming place to visit and wander through.  The narrow streets are filled with quaint restaurants, artisan shops, and cozy tasting rooms.   It was quite rainy the day we visited, but we stopped into a restaurant called Au 36 where we had some chicken and lentil stews that warmed us right up.  

As usual, Bindi accompanied us on this trip and this area is typically very dog friendly.  While it’s always a good idea to check ahead of time, dogs of Bindi’s size are usually allowed for tastings, but into the cellar tours.  Along the Avenue de Champagne there are plenty of spots with outdoor patios where your dog can join you while you enjoy some bubbles.  We also found all of the restaurants to be dog-friendly as well as most of the hotels and Airbnbs that we considered. Reims also has a large park in the city which is great for a leisurely dog walk.

We hope you enjoyed discovering the Champagne region with us, it is truly one of our favorite places and we definitely recommend visiting it!  Do you have recommendations or favorite places that we missed?  Let us know in the comments!