Harvest Champagne Tasting Tour - Vendange & Secateurs

The Grape Escapes Harvest Champagne Tasting Weekend from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th September 2010 includes 2 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 tastings of their Champagnes.

Champagne Harvest - Vendange and Secateurs

There really is nothing better than Grand Cru Chamapgne. 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 our Prestige Champagne Weekend Tour will include a gourmet 4 course lunch at a top local restaurant including accompanying Champagne and wines.

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 descriptions 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’.

• A return Dover to Calais ferry crossing with P&O Ferries for a car and two passengers (other options available).
• 2 night’s bed and breakfast at your chosen hotel.
• Full day private coach tour in a luxury coach on the Saturday (Sunday on Bank Holiday weekends) to include:
• 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 3 course harvesters lunch with Champagnes
• Visit to a prestigious Champagne House to include 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. We are delighted to announce that we have secured our Harvest Champagne Tour this year from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th September.

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.

Reims Hotels, Tour Dates and Prices

The Grape Escapes Harvest Champagne Tasting Weekend includes 2 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