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jtmsi Sep 5th, 2023 11:01 AM

Visiting Champagne region
 
My husband and I will be visiting the Champagne region for 3 days in October. We'd like to stay in a small village or town rather than Reims or Epernay. We enjoy wine and champagne but are equally interested in quaint villages, history, and the culture of the area. Any suggestions for a delightful village, lodging and dining?

HappyTrvlr Sep 5th, 2023 04:54 PM

We stayed outside of Epernay in the village of Ay. It was a nice base.

geetika Sep 5th, 2023 10:15 PM

In September 2017 we spent a long weekend at Avize, a short distance from Epernay. We stayed at a two bedroom gîte which belonged to a small champagne house Veuve Lanaud. The apartment was just above their store, where we did a tasting one day. Some of the small houses have excellent wines and you should definitely include a couple, apart from the big names of course.

Do spend a day at Reims and visit the magnificent cathedral, where so many French kings were crowned. Several famous champagne houses in town, we went to Tattinger, which sits on the ruins of an old abbey.

Epernay of course has the Avenue de Champagne, where you’re walking over millions of bottles of bubbly. An interesting stop is the Benedectine Abbey at Hautvilliers, where Dom Perignon created probably the most famous (and expensive!) wine which bears his name, he lies buried in front of the alter.

Lots of scenic drives in the area, makes for an interesting getaway.

bilboburgler Sep 6th, 2023 12:08 AM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom_P%C3%A9rignon_(monk)

The good father did good things for the still red wine industry

Fizzy champagne didn't come along until the good folk of Birmingham learnt how to make bottles able to take 6 atmospheres of pressure many years later

I've stayed in a few villages but always get drawn back to Epernay

kerouac Sep 6th, 2023 02:59 AM

If you want to stay in a village, may we presume that you will have a car?

aliced Sep 6th, 2023 07:42 AM

Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in nearby Champillon was a treat for couple nights. Short drives to all the houses, do not miss Dom Perignon of course. Wonderful dining room.

jtmsi Sep 6th, 2023 08:52 AM

Yes, we will have a car.

jtmsi Sep 6th, 2023 08:56 AM


Originally Posted by HappyTrvlr (Post 17493820)
We stayed outside of Epernay in the village of Ay. It was a nice base.

Thank you! I'll definitely check this out.

jtmsi Sep 6th, 2023 08:56 AM


Originally Posted by aliced (Post 17493968)
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in nearby Champillon was a treat for couple nights. Short drives to all the houses, do not miss Dom Perignon of course. Wonderful dining room.

That sounds wonderful. Thanks!

jtmsi Sep 6th, 2023 09:01 AM


Originally Posted by geetika (Post 17493866)
In September 2017 we spent a long weekend at Avize, a short distance from Epernay. We stayed at a two bedroom gîte which belonged to a small champagne house Veuve Lanaud. The apartment was just above their store, where we did a tasting one day. Some of the small houses have excellent wines and you should definitely include a couple, apart from the big names of course.

Do spend a day at Reims and visit the magnificent cathedral, where so many French kings were crowned. Several famous champagne houses in town, we went to Tattinger, which sits on the ruins of an old abbey.

Epernay of course has the Avenue de Champagne, where you’re walking over millions of bottles of bubbly. An interesting stop is the Benedectine Abbey at Hautvilliers, where Dom Perignon created probably the most famous (and expensive!) wine which bears his name, he lies buried in front of the alter.

Lots of scenic drives in the area, makes for an interesting getaway.

We will certainly visit Epernay and Reims. I thought it might be easier to stay outside a larger city, but do you think we'd be better off staying in one of these cities? As a "mature" driver, I'd like to avoid traffic as much as possible.

bilboburgler Sep 6th, 2023 10:55 AM

Epernay is very easy, more of an agricultural market town rather than a city

HappyTrvlr Sep 6th, 2023 12:04 PM

Epernay is full of Champagne houses.


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