This has to rank right up there with one of the coolest things I’ve done in Champagne … a Sunset Champagne Tour with My Vintage Tour Company through the vineyards and villages of Champagne.
My Vintage Tour Company was started by Maëva and her brother a little more than a year ago. They are natives to the region and have a real passion for Champagne and champagne. The charming Maëva shares her knowledge as she drives you around the vineyards and quaint villages in a vintage Renault Estafette from the 1980’s called Marie.
I was picked up for the Sunset tour around 7.30pm by Maëva outside my Reims accommodation and we made our way out of the city winding through vineyards towards the village of Sacy.
We stopped along the way where Maëva pointed out the different vineyard plantings before we continued to a vantage point overlooking the vineyards above Sacy.
We continued, turning off the tar road onto a dirt track winding right through the vineyards until Maëva found the perfect spot overlooking beautiful green vines from which to watch the sunset. I was happily admiring the view while she set up a tasting table and put out some snacks.
And when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Maëva whipped out a saber for me to sabrage a bottle in the middle of the vineyards of Champagne. This has to be my most unforgettable experience in Champagne. We sipped on a perfectly chilled bottle watching the sun set over the vineyards.
They offer a number of tour options and itineraries, but they are also super flexible and can do pretty much whatever you want. Marie takes about 7/8 people and they have also added a 2nd van to accommodate bigger groups.
Here are some tour details, info and pricing:
L’Essentiel Tour
Starting from €42 p/person
Discover the area and vineyards
A stop with tasting overlooking the vineyards (in winter the stop is at a wine grower)
Duration 2 hours
Harvest Champagne Tour
Starting from €159 p/person
Discover the area and vineyards
A stop with views overlooking the vineyards
The opportunity to pick grapes
Regional lunch with champagne
Cellar visit with tasting
Tasting on Avenue de Champagne
Available only during harvest (end Aug/early Sept)
Sunset Champagne Tour
Starting from €39 p/person
Discover the area and vineyards
A stop with views overlooking the vineyards
Champagne tasting with sweet and savoury snacks
Duration 1½ hours
Heart of the Region Tour
Starting from €69 p/person
Discover the area and vineyards
Stop with views over the vineyards
Visit to a wine grower
Tasting of 3 champagnes
Duration 3 hours
Tours are booked by filling out the online form on their website once you have selected your perfect tour. Or you can simply pop them an email contact@myvintagetourcompany.com. Pick ups for tours are either in Reims, Épernay, Hautvillers, from your hotel/accommodation or even from the train station. They really make things as easy as possible.
And don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and Instagram so you can stay up to date with all their news and info while looking over their beautiful photo’s.
This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Champagne last month and I can highly recommend their tours if you’re looking for something different to do while there.
Pop, Fizz, Clink
The Champagne Chick
xo
