Champagne valley wine tasting?

Question

Does anyone have any recommendations regarding tasting and buying of champagne in bulk in the area surrounding Reims and the champagne valley?

I'm looking for a good one or two wine cellars and tasting areas to visit.

Answer 1

If you have a specific Champagne house in mind, check their web site since many of them require an appointment. Mumm is in Reims town itself, does a nice tour and has a shop. Taittinger also is in the town centre and has a fascinating tour of their old tall pyramid cellars hand carved dating back to Roman times -- but you need an appointment.

I buy my Champagne in bulk from a small family owned Champagne house called Raymond Boulard which is just 10 minutes drive out from Reims, conveneniently close to main route back to Calais.

Owner Francis Boulard (son of Raymond) speaks English, has a tasting room in his farmhouse and makes a range of superb Champagnes. He owns five vineyards, which he farms organically and one biodynamically and he also makes the wine, so you ar elikelyto be able to taste from wine in barrel and tank, as well, of course, the finished stuff. Good discounts for bulk purchases, good prices anyway :) This is his website -- http://www.champagne-boulard.fr/en/vineyard.htm

Moet et Chandon, Mercier (good tour) and others wineries are along a road in Epernay.

The tourist office in Reims (by cathedral) has a map of Reims with details of Champagne houses -- see http://www.reims.fr/ and also http://www.umc.fr/traduction/english/limach_gb.htm and

Answer 2

Last year I went to Reims & visited Taittinger & Martel within the town itself.

They were quite close to each other &, from the train station, you would walk through the centre of town & maybe one kilometre further.

At Martel I had a tasting with a beautiful waifish Frenchgirl who worked there. The wine was fantastique & she was helpful in arranging further tasting at other houses. I could never forget her.

Taittinger was a grand champagne house & there was a tour of the cave(cellar), a presentation & a tasting of some devine semi-sec.

There are several others nearby but time wisked me away. Enjoy!