The Champagne Houses of France: Accommodations

Hotel Lutetia, Paris

A renowned meeting place for artists, writers and politicians, Hotel Lutetia's busy lobby has a lively edginess with displayed works of art by renowned contemporary artists Arman, César, Philippe Hiquily, Perrin and Thierry Bisch. Surrounded by Art Deco architecture, period furniture, crystal chandeliers and the sounds of jazz music drifting through from the highly popular Lutetia Bar, you will find you are immersed in a truly Parisian atmosphere.

Nestled in the heart of one of Paris' most fashionable districts Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Hotel Lutetia is within walking distance of the river Seine, the Musée d'Orsay, Notre Dame Cathedral and the delightful boutique shops and designers' studios on the Left Bank. Views of the nearby Eiffel Tower can be enjoyed from a number of the rooms and suites where the classic styling of the 1930's is combined with all the modern amenities expected of today's discerning traveller.

Les Crayères, Reims
 

Experience the only place in the world dedicated to the full enjoyment of champagne.

For more than a century, the Chateau – once a Reims property owned by the Polignac family, now a luxury hotel – has perpetuated a tradition of elegance and excellence. Built in 1904, this magnificent 18-room manor is surrounded by a pristine fifteen-acre park and is home to Restaurant Le Parc – one of the most celebrated restaurants in the world. 
 

The Champagne Houses of France: Itinerary

Day 1: Saturday, June 4 - Paris [D]

Evening dinner at the famous Tour d’Argent

You will have the unique opportunity to visit one of the biggest cellars of Paris with over 500,000 bottles, some of them are extremely rare Grands Crus.

Overnight at the Hotel Lutetia  

Day 2: Sunday, June 5 - Paris [B, L] 

Breakfast at the hotel
Morning Visit to the Aligre Market

This market is a paradise for foodies, located a few minutes from the Bastille, in the 12th. It has a great combination of market stalls and gourmet food shops. You will taste croissants at a patisserie run by a top pastry chef, you will enjoy cheese tasting and oysters for those who want them. Also included is an olive oil tasting & a glass of wine at a local wine bar.

Lunch at a local bistrot
Remainder of the day is at leisure with dinner on your own
Overnight at the Hotel Lutetia

Day 3: Monday, June 6 - Paris [B, L, D]

Breakfast at the hotel
Cooking Class at Ducasse Cooking School

This school offers to teach both the initiated and the uninitiated. No talent is necessary to take a course and hands will be held all the way, if necessary, as long as you have passion. You will taste the dishes that you have prepared at the end of the class.

In the afternoon, follow your guide through the
secret covered passages of Paris.

These passages, or arcades, are a kind of time machine, transporting us back to the bustling street life of the nineteenth century. With their mazelike alleys protected from the elements by glass roofs and hemmed in by cafés, bookstores, art dealers, and antique shops, they offer a jumble of sights, a plethora of unexpected objects. Finish your walking tour by a wine-tasting at a famous wine-shop located in the covered passages.

Hosted dinner at Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée
Overnight at the Hotel Lutetia
 

Day 4: Tuesday, June 7 -  Paris to Reims [B, D] 

Breakfast at the hotel
Champagne arrival by noon from Paris  
(Motorcoach transport Paris to Reims is a little over an hour.)

Ruinart: tour and taste with chef de caves

Ruinart is the oldest producer of champagne, officially founded in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart, who was the nephew of the monk Dom Thierry Ruinart (a protégé of Dom Pierre Perignon at the Abby de Hautvillers). This was the dawn of champagne – prior to 25 May 1728, the wine of champagne was not allowed to be commercially transported in bottles.

Tour of maison and caves to be followed by a portfolio tasting to include:

• Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, the ultimate expression of champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay.
  
• Ruinart Rose- while made with a high concentration of chardonnay the pinkish color comes from a delicate addition of pinot noir.
  
• Dom Ruinart Vintage - a rare expression from the most noble chardonnay, as its made with 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay, of which 60% comes from the "Côte des Blancs" and 40% from the "Montagne de Reims."
  
• Dom Ruinart Vintage Rosé - a unique type of blend for a Rosé champagne, based mainly on Chardonnay grapes: a blend of 84% Grands Crus Chardonnay (55% from the Côte des Blancs and 45% from the Montagne de Reims) and 16% Pinot Noir Grands Crus fully vinified in red from VERZENAY and VERZY.

Hosted dinner at Le Parc

On a territory devoted to French Haute Cuisine, refined courses are served in their most wonderful showcase. Philippe Jamesse, the Wine Chef at Les Crayères selects the most refined champagnes: vintages from prestigious Maisons, masterpieces from independent wine growers.  From the marriage of French culinary tradition along with Philippe Jamesse’s oenological knowledge, comes a unique symbiosis between courses and champagne.

Overnight Les Crayères

      
Day 5: Wednesday, June 8 - Reims  [B, D]

Breakfast at the hotel
Tour and taste at Krug with Olivier Krug

Every February, since its founding in 1843, the annual blending of Krug champagne occurs under the direction of a Krug family member who follows no formula, no recipe—just relies on his sense of taste, memory and artistry that was passed down from the generation before. That prestigious burden now falls upon the shoulders of Olivier Krug, the sixth generation of the family to oversee the Prestige Cuvee house.

Tasting with Olivier Krug to include:

• Krug Grand Cuvee- A stunning mosaic of flavors in which a blend of up to 50 different wines from 6-10 different years combine to give Krug Grande Cuvée its complexity, elegance and consistency, year after year.
• Krug Rose- Krug Rosé is a champagne of great balance, endowed with character and mellowness. Probably the most lyrical, Krug Rosé has been described as the opera of the family.
  
• Krug Vintage- Krug only produces a Vintage when a crop has exceptional characteristics and sufficiently interesting features. To create exceptional vintages, the Krug family selects those wines that best express the "voice" of the chosen year.

Veuve Clicquot tour, tasting with Cyril Brun, chef du caves

The House of Clicquot was established on January 3, 1772 by Phillipe Clicquot.  Married Barbe- Nicole Ponsardin on June 10, 1798, and died suddenly of fever in 1805 at the age of 31, leaving a 27-year old wife and a young daughter. Deciding to take on partners and run the business herself, she became known as one of the first modern businesswomen, guided the House of Veuve Clicquot from a small producer to a recognized leader for Champagne in the modern world. Her motto from early 1800’s still resonates today… “Only one quality…the finest.” 

Tour of cellars and winery to be followed by tasting of Yellow Label, Rose, Vintage, Vintage Rose, La Grande Dame and La Grande Dame Rose with winemaker Cyril Brun.

Hosted dinner at Hotel du Marc, the private residence of Clicquot

Hôtel Particulier du Marc, or Marc townhouse, with its courtyard and garden, is an exceptional example of 19th-century architecture in Reims.  It is now a private venue in which the House Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin welcomes its most privileged guests, who travel from around the world to taste its wines, discover the Champagne region and the French art of living. 

Overnight Les Crayères 

Day 6: Thursday, June 9 - Epernay [B, L, D]

Breakfast at the hotel
Moet & Chandon, tour and taste with chef de caves Benoit Gouez

Champagnes reflects a faith in simplicity and nature based on respect for the grape. At Moet & Chandon, the principles of this approach have been handed down from generation to generation for more than 250 years.

Tour of maison to be followed by portfolio tasting led by Chef de Cave Benoit Gouez.

• Moet Impérial
  
• Moet Impérial Rosé
  
• Moet Nectar Impérial
  
• Moet Nectar Impérial Rosé
  
• Moet Grand Vintage
  
• Moet Grand Vintage Rosé

Visit to also include lunch at the L’Orangerie de Trianon, privately owned by Moët & Chandon.

Dom Perignon, tour and tasting at Abby d’Hautvillers with chef de cave, Richard Geoffroy.

The story of Dom Pérignon began in the 17th century at the Abbey of Hautvillers. Centuries later, the story has become a legend, the product a brand, and the brand a myth.

Tour and tasting led by Chef de Cave, Richard Geoffroy.  Marques to include:

• Dom Pérignon Vintage- Made exclusively from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from Grand Cru vineyards and from the oldest vines at the Abbey of Hautvillers, champagne Dom Pérignon is produced only in exceptional vintage years. 
  
• Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage- Dom Pérignon Rosé offers the finest balance of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, skillfully tuned by the Chef de Cave, transforming the wine into a style that is exclusive only to Dom Pérignon. 
  
• Dom Pérignon OEnothéque-Œnothéque is the French word for Wine Library. For the rare and limited Œnothéque collection, Dom Pérignon winemakers reserve a small portion of wine from the finest vintage years and age this wine on the lees in the cellars for up to 50 years, until time brings out it's deepest, most coveted qualities.

Hosted Champagne Dinner at Château de Saran, created by Chef Roy Yamaguchi and Chef Pascal Tingaud

Pascal Tingaud, Executive Chef for both Moët & Chandon and Château de Saran, comes from a family of chefs. His grandfather (President of Les Maîtres Cuisiniers de France from 1974 to 1982) opened his restaurant, L’Auberge de Condé, in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, which was later taken over by his father, designated Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1968.

In 1999 Tingaud was appointed chef at the Résidence de Trianon (a Moët & Chandon property and reception venue).  In 2002 he was appointed chef at the Château de Saran, another Moët & Chandon property, where he continues to create new tastes and innovative pairings of champagne and the finest foods.

While based in Champagne, Tingaud travels the globe creating unforgettable meals that ideally pair with the Champagnes from Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon.

Château de Saran, just a few miles outside of Epernay in the Champagne region of France, was once a family residence belonging to Moët, one of the most venerable Champagne houses in France. Today it's a venue where the company entertains visiting royalty, dignitaries, VIPs, and friends. You need to know someone who knows someone to secure an invitation to Saran, and if you do, it's worth the trip—if not just for the experience of dining there, then to view the graceful building itself.

Overnight Les Crayères 
 

Day 7: Friday, June 10 - Departures [B]

Breakfast at the hotel
Depart for the airport to catch your return flight