HARVEST CHAMPAGNE WEEKEND
Harvest Champagne Tasting Tour - Vendange & Secateurs
The Grape Escapes Harvest Champagne Tasting Weekend will be taking place from Saturday 27th to Monday 29th August 2011 and includes two nights’ accommodation in your chosen Reims hotel, plus a full day Vendange tour around the Champagne region - grape picking with secateurs. For prices, please see our dates and prices page.
Prestigious Champagne House
Your Harvest Champagne Tour is designed to give you a full insight into the Champagne making process. You will visit one of the prestigious Houses based in the centre of Reims or Epernay. The sight of millions of bottles of Champagne maturing in the underground cellars is truly breath-taking. Some of the cellars are within chalk Crayères which were excavated by the Romans and others were purpose built over the last 150 years. The visit to the prestigious House will include a tour of the cellars and conclude with two tastings of their Champagnes.
Champagne Harvest - Vendange and Secateurs
There really is nothing better than Grand Cru Champagne. It is only produced in 17 villages in the Champagne region. However, to enjoy Grand Cru Champagne at its best, you really need to get out into the vineyards with a pair of secateurs at Harvest time, get down on your knees and actually work with the grape pickers, picking grapes. Imagine the satisfaction when you return home with a bottle of their Champagne in your case, pop it open and relive the memories. Nothing beats the whole vendange experience.
Fine Dining
As seasoned Grape Escapes clients will know, in addition to the Champagne, we also consider fine dining to be a prerequisite. Therefore you will enjoy a traditional harvester’s lunch as guests of a Champagne House owner, where you will also sample their Champagnes.
Tour Guide
As well as learning about the champagne making process, our Prestige Champagne Tour includes a local English speaking tour guide who will give you information on the region, its specialities and history.
What's Included
For full details of what is included, please see the description below:
This weekend offers the ultimate opportunity to truly understand the whole Champagne process from first principles. We are delighted to work with a family-run, Grand Cru, Champagne House to offer our guests the opportunity to get their hands dirty in the vineyard during the ‘vendange’.The Harvest Weekend includes:
- Return Folkestone to Calais Eurotunnel crossings for a car and two passengers (other options available).
- Two nights’ bed and breakfast at your chosen hotel in Reims.
- A full day private tour in a luxury coach on the Saturday (Sunday on Bank Holiday weekends) to include:
- A visit to a small Champagne House where you will take the secateurs to the vineyard and harvest some grapes. You will then return to the winery and taste the freshly pressed grape juice and follow the grapes through their journey to becoming Champagne. Your visit will include a traditional three course harvester’s lunch with Champagnes.
- A visit to a prestigious Champagne House to include two tastings.
- An English speaking guide for the tour who will provide information on the region and the wines.
Harvest Dates
The dates of the harvest are a function of the weather each year. It is therefore not possible to provide the exact date at the time of preparing this information. The tour is likely to be in mid-September; however we expect to set a provisional date in late June and confirm the date in early August.
Extend Your Stay
If you wish to extend your stay to visit more of the Champagne region, or even head down to Burgundy, we can provide an excellent tour itinerary which includes the very best places to visit. Please call us on 08456 430 860 for details and prices.
Harvest Weekend Upgrades
If you would like to upgrade your Harvest weekend, there are a number of additional activities that we can arrange. To complement the Harvest experience, these could be arranged for the afternoon of your arrival or the morning of your departure or we can arrange an extra night’s stay in your preferred hotel. Here are some ideas:
- VIP Dom Perignon Tour: For those who wish to sample the most famous of all Champagnes in its home, we can arrange a private tour of seldom-visited areas of the Moët and Chandon cellars. The tour concludes with a flute of Dom Perignon in a private reception room at the Moët Mansion. You will need to take a short train ride from Reims to Epernay for this visit.
- Grande Dame Tour: If the old widow (Veuve Clicquot) is your favourite Champagne, then we can arrange a tour of Veuve Clicquot followed by a tasting of their yellow label and their prestige cuvee. This visit is not available on Sundays or Mondays.
- Dom Ruinart Duo: Visit Champagne Ruinart, the oldest Champagne House and the only one with cellars which are classified as a historical monument. Your tour will conclude with a tasting of the House’s two vintage prestige cuvees, Dom Ruinart and Dom Ruinart Rosé.
- Half Day Vineyard Experience: You will be given a very special and exclusive tour in the Montagne de Reims. This will include a look at several vineyards, in particular a visit to the guide’s family vineyard. Here, you will be able to spend time learning about the seasonal work in the vineyard, and you will also have the chance to enjoy a unique, hands-on experience tailored to the season of your visit. This tour is not available on Sundays.
- Champagne-tasting Lunch or Dinner: Enjoy a three course lunch or dinner in a traditional restaurant in Reims. Each course will be accompanied by a different single varietal Champagne (one glass of Champagne made from just Pinot Meunier, one glass of Champagne made from just Pinot Noir and one glass of Champagne made from just Chardonnay).
- Reims City tour: This tour will be led by a registered city guide and will include visits to many of the city’s famous sights. The tour can be on foot or in a mini-coach (as preferred) and can be adapted to suit your individual requirements.
Prices for these options are available upon request.
Reims Hotels, Tour Dates and Prices
The Grape Escapes Harvest Champagne Tasting Weekend includes two nights’ accommodation in your chosen Reims hotel, plus a full day tour around the Champagne region. For prices, please see our dates and prices page.
Other Champagne Tasting Tours
Please see our Champagne Tasting Tours page for details of the other Champagne Tasting tours we offer.
We also arrange many private Champagne tasting tours for individuals, groups and corporate clients. So, if the above trips are not exactly what you are looking for, please give us a ring on 08456 430 860, or email us at info@grapeescapes.net to arrange your perfect Champagne Tasting Tour