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.  

Gérard Bertrand likes to share the exceptional diversity and characteristics of each of his 11 vineyards. At the Chateau l’Hospitalet, near Narbonne, every detail has been taken care of so that visitors can discover the wines of occitania in total harmony with nature.

What is your conception of wine tourism?

First of all it’s about discovering the location: the soils, the grape vines, the people, the lifestyle, and the climate. Chateau l’Hospitalet has everything you need to ensure this discovery takes place in the best possible conditions: a magnificent setting in the heart of a protected mountain range that is a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean Sea and Narbonne, surrounded by an exceptional heritage of civilizations which forged human history (the Romans, Cathar Christians, the city of Carcassonne, the Canal du Midi) … Here we share our passion for wine. Each person can have what we hope will be an unforgettable sensory and emotional experience: in the vineyard, wine cellar, restaurant and wine buffet, in the company of artists and to the sound of music!

Chateau l’Hospitalet uses organic cultivation methods. How does that change the wine tourism experience?

Organic cultivation is based on connection with nature and the search for harmony and balance. I hope that the people who come to visit, dine in the restaurant, take part in a wine-tasting session, or stay over, will find that this vineyard is a good place to recharge their batteries, rediscover the link with the environment and find peace and harmony. We maintain this harmony by combining a protected natural setting, gourmet meals with local products, vegetables from the garden, and wine-tasting workshops to explain the characteristics of this wine district. All these elements combine to fuel our inspiration when we make our wines.

Between the ocean and vineyards, in a superb landscape, the Chateau l’Hospitalet breathes wellbeing and the Mediterranean lifestyle. An essential destination during a wine tourism visit to the Languedoc!

Just 15 km away from Narbonne, in the heart of the Narbonne regional park, the road first winds through a landscape of pine trees and vineyards before revealing a large plateau overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, where the vineyards are king. You are in the heart of the protected La Clape Mountains (the name means ‘pile of stones’ in the local Languedoc language), which shelter the Chateau l’Hospitalet. A short 10-minute walk along the hill and you are rewarded with an exceptional view over the vineyards, the sea, the beaches and … in the distance, the Pyrenees Mountains. 

An exceptional view over the grape wines, the sea, the beaches, and … in the distance, the Pyrenees Mountains.

It’s hard to imagine that 20 centuries ago the city of Narbonne was a port, and this peninsula was ... an island! The grape vines had already decided that this spot would be their home. Since then, the Aude River has changed its bed. Situated next to the Mediterranean Sea, La Clape mountain range is a wine district made up of limestone blocks, and is ideal for growing Bourboulenc and Vermentino (white wines), and Syrah and Mourvèdre (red wines).

Chateau l’Hospitalet: The essential wine tourism destination in Occitania

The Chateau l’Hospitalet is a traditional sixteenth-century building, and opens onto an inner courtyard. The surrounding vineyard is a real haven of peace in 1,000 hectares of pines, bushland and grape vines. In 2002, winemaker Gérard Bertrand took over this jewel of the southern wine region in order to maintain and promote the Mediterranean lifestyle by expanding the appreciation and experience of the great Languedoc wines.

To preserve the environment, the vineyard became entirely organically cultivated: without the use of chemicals, the grape vines are grown in a way which protects natural biodiversity. During a relaxing stay in one of the hotel’s comfortable rooms, you will enjoy a magnificent view of the regional park. Each room has a special name which refers to wines from the south of France and reflects their individual character. At the restaurant, L’Art de Vivre, an inventive cuisine highlights the products of the Languedoc region, accompanied by Gérard Bertrand’s renowned grand cru wines. Here there is nothing but wellbeing and authenticity.  

Since 1992, this stately chartreuse has exhibited famous contemporary artists and displays the gourmet spirit of the Cazes family, who also own the Château Lynch-Bages vineyard in Pauillac.

A 45-minute drive from Bordeaux, between the Gironde and the Atlantic, nestled among vines in the heart of Pauillac, the Château Cordeillan-Bages offers a haven for lovers of fine food and experiences to excite the senses. On the initiative of Jean-Michel Cazes, who wanted to enjoy wine-inspired artworks, Pierre Alechinsky became the first artist to illustrate a vintage in 1989.

Famous artists are exhibited at Château Cordeillan-Bages: Alechinsky, Emilio Perez, Antoni Tapies, Gérard Titus-Carmel, Jean Scully and Barthélémy Toguo.

Many famous artists have followed: Sandro Chia, Eduardo Arroyo, Emilio Perez, Antoni Tapiès, Gérard Titus-Carmel, Jean Scully, and Tan Swie Hian. A wealth of artworks can be enjoyed at this Relais & Châteaux hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant as a tribute to the  Château Lynch-Bages art exhibitions.

Contemporary art is on the menu of Michelin-starred restaurant

Each year, the chef brings inspiration from the Château Lynch-Bages universe to the table, including dishes inspired from the art exhibitions which stay on the menu for the season. The ‘Fraîcheur’ desert was transformed to honor an Alechinsky painting! Three artworks by Tapiès adorn the walls of the restaurant, which was selected as part of the Art & Wine route created by the Bordeaux Tourism Board.

Motivated by their desire to unite and share their worlds of wine and art, the Cazes family exhibits their collection at different locations in the picturesque village of Bages. The wine tasting school is decorated with paintings, while the Café Lavinal presents the work of local artists. Jean-Charles Cazes describes the spirit of this domain welcoming local residents and visitors from around the world.