Angélique , your local guide will drive you to her Champagne region of birth .
The meeting point is at 01:30 PM at Reims Central station or at 02:00 PM at the tourist office of Epernay.

Off the beaten tracks of the big house , you 'll be in total immersion with independent wine makers .
The 2 differents champagne domains visited are located in the Montagne of Reims and the Marne valléee sub region .
Pinot grapes are king there , not forgetting a few Chardonnays.
These local winegrowers are the largest landowners in Champagne , owning 90% of the 34.000 hectares of the vineyards.
This puts them at the heart of the Champagne dynamic!
Their expertise has been handed down from generation to generation , making them the main suppliers of grapes to the major brands.
Meeting these people in their cellars followed by tastings of their wines is a fullinterest experience.
The afternoon will continue with a van city tour of Epernay , the craddle of Champagne and its famous Avenue .
It is here and nowhere else that the great houses were born .
Domains such as Moet et Chandon, Perrier-Jouet, Pol Roger have competed in architectural audacity and magnificence to give champagne its letters of nobility.
They are in tune with the reputation of the 220 millions of bottles ageing in their cellars.
After Epernay, head for the vineyards and the quaint village of Hautvillers .
The “must go” in the region because of its Abbaye tour where a famous monk is buried.
Indeed, Dom Pérignon ,a benedictin monk born in the Marne region was a very important cellar master.
He is well known as the father of the blending of grapes and crus (villages).
In this way he improved so much the quality of the wine of Champagne .
Behind the walls of the abbey garden and at the top of the hills, you'll be surprised by a wide view over the river Marne and the Cote des Blancs in the distance.
A stop and go is planned to understand the " Terroir” of Champagne, the tough work of the soil, the differents pruning systems and the harvest all done by hands .
A full year long work, the vineyards workers are really gardeners .

Voila! An afternoon in Champagne to find out what lies behind the gold labels ant the brioche -flavoured wine !

The end of the tour will take you back to the pick up place , in Reims or Epernay according to where you are staying in the region in between 05:30 PM to 06:00 PM.