Maison d'hôtes 'Les Telliers' à Reims

I recently made Ruinart Champagne cellar tour in Reims and really loved it.

The building above the ground is interesting but the cellars are even more attractive.

Ruinart cellars are based on Roman chalk pits which are about 70 meter deep.

Dom Ruinart bought these chalk mines in the 18th century and since then Ruinart is storing Champagne bottles in tunnels connecting these chalk excavations. .

They store millions bottles in there (they are very secretive about quantities).

The person in charge of our tour did a nice job, recalling history of the brand and giving notions of elaboration of Champagne.

But that is not the main interest of this Champagne tour, what we really appreciated was that we experienced a memorable instant during the tasting.

Not only because of the Champagne quality: we were served R de Ruinart 94 and Ruinart rosé 95

We simply spent a nice moment around Champagne, siping Champagne and chatting.

It was a memorable hour, an instant Champagne, an instant Ruinart.

That’s just what Champagne is made for: nice memorable moments !!!

Booking Ruinart cellar tour (like all Champagne cellars tours) takes very long time by mail. They must receive many mails a day so we recommend to give them a call instead and then confirm the booking made (by credit card number)

The price of the tour is 26 Euro in 2011 but is really worth it. For 4 Euro extra you will be able to taste a second wine.

If you have a booking  at ‘Les Telliers’ guest house , we may also help book the tour for you.

Just keep in mind that you ‘ll need to schedule it weeks in advance as it very appreciated.

Ruinart website

If you are interested in wine, the best way to discover fine Champagnes and make nice encounters is to visit an independent Champagne producer along touristic road of Champagne.

Visit the cellars of the major brands is interesting, they have impressive installations, deep cellars filled with millions bottles but if you wish to learn more about the process of making Champagne then you have to meet the persons who actually make the Champagne and work the vineyard themselves. Very few of the elegant ladies that will welcome you at Pommery‘s or Veuve Clicquot‘s cellars would have done a harvest themselves!

Gluing a Champagne bottle

Some small producers have very interesting installations to show, even sometimes deep cellars. For them it is a real passion to create wine and share their experience. There are about 10000 producers of Champagne. Among them we have met 2 in particular that are very welcoming and willing to share their passion:

Champagne Daniel Dumont in Rilly la Montagne (not speaking English)

Champagne Henri Goutorbe in Ay

It is just 2 among many but we know them for more than 15 years and are loyal lovers of their Champagne.

If you take an appointment with a small Champagne producer please keep in mind that it may be for them a huge time investment to welcome you for one hour. Most of these producers have a family size they have no permanent employee to welcome you. So in a way, they expect you to buy some Champagne which should not be a real problem as the Champagne is usually excellent and nice value. For a nice Champagne the starting price is usually around 13 €

A Champagne winery

Here are 2 links which may help you find addresses of Champagne producers who welcome clients on week ends:

http://www.champagne-tourisme.com/ look for ‘Bienvenue on week ends’ or download section

http://www.vignerons-independants-champagne.com/ look for ‘Rendez vous week ends’

Another way to discover Champagne and its producers is to stay with them in a B&B. Some of them personally own a guest house. In the countryside belong to a B&B label is essential, here are 2 of them: Clévacances and Gites de France