At Pézenas, a city of art and history in the Pays d’Oc dear to French playwright Molière, savour the famous local pâté accompanied by the region’s best rosés.

Enter the Pays d’Oc district. Make a stop at Pézenas, which has been classified as a City of Art and History since 1950. In this city dear to French playwright Molière, the narrow alleyways decorated with stalls cast a spell over the visitor. Taste the famous petit pâté of Pézenas, imported in the thirteenth century by the Indian cooks of Lord Clive, viceroy of India, who stayed in the city. For an appetizer, this sweet and savoury lamb preparation goes well with the Pays d’Oc rosés, particularly those made from Syrah and Grenache grape varieties.

Cellar master at Mumm since 2006, Didier Mariotti continues the winemaking traditions of nearly two centuries. He makes the Mumm wines with his own sensibility while remaining faithful to the signature of this famous champagne. 

If you were a wine enthusiast, what would interest you most about Mumm? 

First of all our vineyard: 218 hectares, including 160 hectares classified as high-quality grand cru vines, situated in eight historic villages where all the authenticity of the Champagne wine district can be seen: Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay, Mailly, Avize and Cramant. This vineyard is dominated by Pinot Noir grapes, which are emblematic of the Mumm style, and come from the Montagne de Reims (170 hectares). It extends to a grand cru Chardonnay from Cramant and Avize on the Côte des Blancs (31 hectares), and to the Marne Valley, which mainly has Pinot Meunier vines (17 hectares). The wine cellars are the most impressive part of the Champagne region, with 25 km of tunnels allowing for the storage of 25 million bottles. The visit takes you into the history of the company through a very informative tour.

What are the most popular places among wine tourists visiting Champagne?

The Moulin de Verzenay offers an impressive panorama of the vineyards of the region. It makes you realize the richness and diversity of the Champagne region’s heritage. Restored in 1949, it is part of the Mumm heritage. I also like the Pershing bar at Verzenay and I enjoy walking along the streets of the village of Hautvillers.

What are the most surprising combinations of food and champagne you can recommend?

Strangely, I find that champagne goes very well with mezzés  (a range of Greek appetizers)! It also goes very well with Japanese cuisine: sushis, sashimis and tempuras.

Discover the vineyards of the Corbières region on five themed wine routes. Each can take one or several days to complete.

Travel through the vineyards of the Languedoc wine region and the wine district of Corbières. There are five itineraries to choose from: the route passing the étangs (ponds) and the sea, the route taking you to the historic Cathar sites, the road to discover the famous Boutenac wine, the Alaric route, and the road from Narbonne to Lézignan-Corbières. And there are dozens of wine cellars and vineyards to explore along the way. With no start, no finish and no obligatory stops along the way, it’s up to you choose. When you taste the wine you may well fall in love with this southern country, with its singsong accent, winegrowers and ancient traditions. 

Discover the wines of the Languedoc region in this magnificent seventeenth-century chateau, near Carcassonne, who was awarded the 2019 Wine Tourism Trophies Golden Prize in the “Architecture & Sceneries” category : visit wine cellars, enjoy wine tastings and discover the vineyard in a Citroen 2CV. 

The cradle of the Lorgeril family’s six vineyards in the Languedoc, the Chateau de Pennautier is a historic seventeenth-century building where you can really enjoy the French lifestyle. At a stone’s throw from the city of Carcassonne, taste the wines of Languedoc in the chateau’s wine cellars, introduce yourself to wine tasting and making, and discover the vineyard on foot, bike or in a classic Citroen 2CV!

Choose from guest houses, home stays or the chateau itself, and enjoy a stay in an exceptional setting in the heart of the origin-approved (AOC) wine district of Cabardès. A magical place for professional or private events!

An essential excursion during your stay in Reims, a visit to the wine cellars of Mumm will take you up close to champagne. An authentic heritage to discover, followed by a tasting of this historic champagne.

Visiting Mumm is a real experience: understand champagne ‘from the inside’ and feel the spirit of innovative conquest characterizing a company which, since its foundation in 1827, has continued to demonstrate its audacity and high standards.

A maze dedicated to champagne

You reach the heart of the 25 km of underground tunnels, a maze highlighted by a beautiful display of lights. Some 25 million bottles are stored here! The visit starts with a film, which explains everything you need to know about the history of Mumm and its great champagnes. Do you know that the famous Cordon Rouge champagne, emblem of this brand born in 1875, is a tribute to the French Légion d’Honneur award?

 A delicious, fleeting experience, like the bubbles of champagne.

A guide then accompanies you to the underground galleries and the former fermenting rooms, which have been preserved in their original state. In front of the bottles of champagne, he will reveal the secrets of the creation of the bubbles, from the grape harvest to the remuage process of turning the bottles, from the wine cellar to the glass. This centuries-old craft respects tradition and follows the motto of Georges Hermann Mumm: ‘Only the best.’ As for the remuer machines, they each turn 40,000 bottles each day! These devices modify the position of the bottles by several degrees until they are in an almost vertical position, so that the sediment moves towards the cork.

Cordon Rouge: Grand cru or vintage champagne?

Then visit the tools museum and take the time to discover the different skills required to make champagne. This trip provides a unique insight into the production of champagne. The champagne tasting is now imminent! Depending on the visit you choose, taste either a glass of the famous Cordon Rouge champagne, of the Vintage 2013, or savour two top-quality Grands Crus champagnes  (RSRV Blanc de Blancs and RSRV Blanc de Noirs).

Along the 18 km of Mercier’s underground wine cellars, everything has been designed to impress the visitor: a panoramic elevator, huge low-relief sculptures carved into the wall, giant wine barrels … And, of course, you can round off the visit with a glass of champagne!

Founded in 1858, Mercier has a long history, and one that is different from the other champagne producers of the same period. A unique character, stemming from the colourful personality of Eugène Mercier. A visionary and nonconformist, Eugène Mercier challenged the traditions of the Champagne region by creating a ‘champagne for all occasions’. Champagne was no longer reserved for the elite, but retained its remarkable quality. 

Designed to impress, the Mercier underground wine cellars are among the most visited in the Champagne region, with more than 100,000 tourists each year.

To promote his brand, Mercier staged many events to attract publicity: a floating bar attached to a hot-air balloon and anchored to the foot of the Chateau de Vincennes (which strong winds transported as far away as Belgium); a film in collaboration with the cinema pioneers, the Lumière brothers …

At Epernay, the Mercier family have opened up their exceptional wine cellars, which were developed by their audacious grandfather, to the public. Designed to impress, the Mercier wine cellars remain the most visited cellars in the Champagne region, with more than 100,000 tourists each year. 

A panoramic elevator, huge sculptures and wine casks

The visit starts with a film which retraces the history of the founder Eugène Mercier. Take the panoramic elevator and find yourself 30 m above the ground! Aboard the little train, with your multilingual audioguide, you travel along the impressive 18 km of tunnels. The wine cellars are the first to have been designed on one level and are set out geometrically. They were inspired by the design of New York and are intended to be easily accessible to visitors!

These splendid galleries are decorated with sculptures, carved into the chalk stone walls by artist Gustave Navlet, which you see as you travel along the tunnels. In the high vaults you can see the famous giant barrel, which contains 213,000 bottles of champagne!

Returning to the surface, enjoy a glass of Mercier champagne. At the far end of the galleries, the Bacchus vault turns out to be a surprising reception room. Beneath the 15-m high ceilings, this sumptuous space is decorated with two gigantic frescos, carved into the chalk stone. An ideal location to prolong the pleasure during private or professional occasions: seminars, cocktail receptions, weddings, etc.

Set among the vineyards, the luxurious Domaine de Verchant, near Montpellier, offers you a 360-degree view of the grape vines and a chance to taste their high-quality wines.  

A few minutes from the centre of Montpellier, the Domaine de Verchant offers you an enchanting stay at the heart of the 17-hectare vineyard. Two lines of oak and pine trees will lead you to an elegant mansion, renovated in 2007 into a prestigious five-star hotel. 

The hotel, restaurant, spa, pool and ‘beach’ offer magnificent views of the Languedoc vineyards.

At this unique and exceptional site, part of the Relais & Chateaux group since 2013, the hotel, restaurant, spa, pool and ‘beach’ offer magnificent views of the Languedoc vineyards  and the landscaped park. You can relax and take in the scents of the south, but also, at any time of year, enjoy the spectacle of the grape vines which produce rosé, white and red wines. You can also taste the wines at the restaurant, which serves Mediterranean cuisine. 

Méjanelle: An exceptional wine area

The young owner of the Domaine de Verchant has conferred the running of the vineyard to professionals capable of bringing out the best of this exceptional wine-growing area. In this soil characterized by rounded pebbles, typical of the origin-approved (AOC) Méjanelle wine district, the wine growers, under the Mediterranean sun, benefit from the influence of the mistral winds and sea breezes. The ancient grape vines are next to those which have been planted more recently. Roussanne has been added to the traditional Merlot, Grenache and Syrah vines. A moderate weeding of certain plots is undertaken to improve production and assure the health of the wines, guaranteeing an excellent harvest. 

Five aromatic and complementary wines

The grape harvest is done by hand, in crates. The grapes are sorted, destalked and then lightly pressed before being put into vats. The stainless steel vats, kept at a constant temperature, or the oak casks, allow for the production of high-quality red and rosé wines. Thanks to the strict control of the fermentation process and slow maturing in the vats, the aromas and flavours of the grapes are gently extracted. Three reds with complementary characters, a special rosé called ‘Petal of the Rose’, and a white created in 2005, form the characteristic range of the Domaine de Verchant wines, which you can discover in the wine cellar.

At Chablis, in Burgundy, the Domaine Laroche reveals an exceptional history: the ninth-century Obédiencerie monastery, where Chablis, an emblematic French white wine, was born. 

The Domaine Laroche allows you to discover the fascinating history of the white wine Chablis, with its rich religious and medieval heritage, and to taste the Burgundy way of life. The Obédiencerie is a site rich in history and Christian heritage. It is here, in this former monastery at Chablis, that the monks of Saint Martin de Tours developed the craft of winemaking in the Middle Ages.

The wine tastings allow you to appreciate all the subtleties of the Chardonnay grapes, grown in a mosaic of different areas, which make up the Chablis white wine.

The Laroche family installed the headquarters of its vineyard in the magnificent building and takes great care of this living heritage. Visitors can admire the twelfth-century grape press, a unique device classified on the list of French historic monuments, and the wine cellars, the oldest in the village (ninth and twelfth centuries), which are still being used today.

A Saint Martin vintage to remind us that wine is for sharing 

The Domaine Laroche continues to produce and mature its four top grand cru wines and 10 high-quality premier cru wines under the historic and peaceful monastic arches. Wine tastings are held here and allow you to appreciate all the subtleties of the Chardonnay grapes, grown in a mosaic of different areas, which make up the Chablis white wine. The vineyard has, among other things, developed a Saint Martin wine to highlight this long history, in which wine is a symbol of sharing.  

Near the vineyard, the Hôtel du Vieux Moulin offers a wonderful getaway experience. All aspects of the Burgundy way of life are expressed in this charming hotel, which is built in a former eighteenth-century grain mill. The subtle mix of traditional architecture and contemporary design provides an intimate location in the centre of Chablis village, at the heart of this famous wine district, whose many different 'climats', or plots of land for growing grapes, have been classified as World Heritage sites. Several different types of weekend or short visits allow you to enjoy a unique wine tourism experience.