We wanted to travel somewhere without flying but didn’t want to spend days and days in the car from London. Well, France seemed the obvious choice! The ferry from Dover to Calais is easily reached and affordable.

But then, where to go?! Well, the destination needed to be within a wine region, so let’s just pick the closest one. Champagne… Not too shabby. Let’s go!

Épernay

Épernay, the beating heart of the Champagne region, sits majestically on the banks of the Marne River, surrounded by rolling vineyards—hills that nearly ended me on my bike.

Épernay is home to some of the most renowned Champagne houses in the world. The town's centrepiece, Avenue de Champagne (literally a piece of heaven on earth), is often called the "Champs-Élysées of Champagne," a street lined with imposing, elegant mansions that house the crème de la crème of Champagne production.

We began our visit with an early morning, post-breakfast stroll along the famous avenue. I was eager to explore the traditions and innovations that make the Champagne houses in this region so iconic. First on our itinerary was Perrier-Jouët.

Perrier-Jouët

The house of Perrier-Jouët has been synonymous with elegance and sophistication since its founding in 1811. Known for its beautiful Art Nouveau aesthetic, Perrier-Jouët is as much about artistry as it is about Champagne itself. We found a spot in their stunning garden, accompanied by tens of thousands of bees.

We sampled their Grand Brut and Rosé Champagnes, served in decorative, seasonal glasses. The wait staff paired each glass with a lovely cheese biscuit, which complemented the sips perfectly.

Grand Brut 2018: A buttery nose with that signature rich flavour on the first taste. The ‘brut’ in this brut was right at the forefront.
Blason Rosé 2019: Ripe fruits in abundance—red and black—with a slightly sweet yet fresh finish.

Both glasses were about €20 each—worth it for sure!

Collard-Picard

Located just across the road from Perrier-Jouët, Collard-Picard presents a stark contrast in style but offers an equally rich experience. This family-run house was born from the union of two winemaking families, Collard and Picard, both with deep roots in the Champagne region. Since its founding in 1996, Collard-Picard has gained a reputation for producing Champagnes that bridge tradition and modernity.

The garden was a simpler affair—plastic furniture on a gravel terrace. Their selection, each available by the glass, included the 2008 Racine and 2008 Cuvée Prestige.

Cuvée Prestige 2008: A balanced blend of Chardonnay (50%), Pinot Noir (25%), and Meunier (25%). Crisp, with notes of green apple, citrus, and a subtle brioche finish. The precision and purity of flavours were striking—nothing felt out of place.
Racine 2008: A 100% Meunier Champagne that had aged gracefully in their cellars. Layers of dried fruit, toasted almonds, and a hint of spice. A creamy, lingering finish that left a lasting impression. Fantastic—I had to have a second glass.

Also, just €12 per glass—amazing!

Leclerc Briant Tour

Our final visit of the day was to Leclerc Briant, a Champagne house that stands out for its pioneering approach to organic and biodynamic winemaking. Located just outside Épernay's city centre, Leclerc Briant has a long history dating back to 1872. However, it was in the 1980s that the house made its mark by becoming one of the first in the region to adopt organic and biodynamic practices.

Our guide was excellent! So funny, so professional, so Italian!

The cellar at Leclerc Briant was a place of reverence for us. Here, the wines are aged in a variety of vessels, including oak barrels, gold-lined casks, terracotta amphorae and even submerged underwater in the Atlantic Ocean!

Brut Réserve: A lively and expressive Champagne with vibrant acidity, notes of green apple, lemon zest, and a hint of minerals.
Abyss: A Champagne aged underwater. The bottle looked like it came straight from Captain Sparrow’s cellar! A stunning wine—complex, high in acidity, with a long finish. I expected more of a "sea" flavour, but it was still fantastic.
Zéro Dosage: A Champagne made without any added sugar. Dry, sharp acidity, with flavours of lemon, green apple, and a chalky minerality. A wine for true connoisseurs. We bought a bottle and are still waiting for the perfect occasion to open it—perhaps with oysters.

La Cave à Champagne

After the tasting tour, we took a little break from Champagne, rested, and got ready for dinner at La Cave à Champagne in the centre of town. There are not many places in the UK where you can get half a bottle of delicious Champagne for £17! The food was good, the service excellent, and the atmosphere very pleasant—it was quintessentially French with a short, tight menu of traditional flavours. Overall, a nice experience.

Cycling Tour

The next day was our self-guided cycling tour—planned with very little research*

*ACTUALLY Rob meticulously researched the cycling element using his Beeline app. “I chose some beautiful routes based on their reviews, including Le Cote des Blancs Nord, Sud and La Couronne d’Epernay, a relaxed semi-urban cycle route stopping by the hot spots and some wonderful views of the town. For my fellow cyclists, I took along my 2023 Brompton C-Line Explore in Ocean Blue. Tackling the Cote des Blancs on a folder with 16” wheels was a first! Sarah took her stunning Raleigh Pioneer, a bike that rides like a luxurious three piece suite.”

*A 2023 Brompton C-Line in Ocean Blue, somewhere outside Le Mesnil Sur-Oger.*

After a full day of tasting Champagne, even a long night’s sleep wasn’t enough. The slopes were brutal! Now I understand why all the organised tours use electric bikes! Nevertheless, it was 100% worth it. The views and little villages were stunning, and the weather was perfect.

*A boy on a bike, somewhere outside Grauves.*

After our 40km cycle, we went straight back to Collard-Picard, and I had the Racine 2008 as my recovery drink—absolutely perfect.

We stopped to taste a few other Champagnes from small producers, and honestly, I didn’t find a single one I didn’t like!

Chez Ali

For dinner, we chose a Moroccan restaurant called Chez Ali. It had excellent reviews and it did not disappoint. The food was authentic, traditional, and delicious, accompanied by a Moroccan Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot from Boulaouane—a real gem!

Reims & Amiens

The next day was our journey home, but since we had a late ferry, we had time to stop in Reims, the capital of Champagne.

We visited the world-famous Veuve Clicquot Champagne house. So much orange! So well-branded, orange everywhere! And why not? It’s a stone-cold classic. Did you know you can buy a Veuve Clicquot swimsuit? I didn’t!

The Cathedral of Reims was simply breathtaking. In a word, stupéfiant! The sheer scale and intricate Gothic architecture left us in awe. The stunning stained glass windows, especially the south facing ones, cast a beautiful blue and purple light inside. Walking through this historic site, where French kings were crowned for centuries, was truly special. Free entry is a bonus, and it’s a must-see if you’re in the Champagne region. Highly recommend!

With time to spare before our ferry, we made a spontaneous stop in Amiens. The only thing we really knew in advance was that it was the home town of French President Emmanuel Macron. We stopped off for a bite to eat at Sibell Steak House. We were literally the only customers in there for lunch but ended up having an absolutely 10/10 banger of a burger. We briefly stopped by the Cathedral here too but were starting to run out of time to explore before our ferry home—Amiens is definitely worth a visit!

As we concluded our tour of this wonderful part of France, I was struck by the diversity of styles and philosophies of winemaking within this relatively small region. Each Champagne house—Perrier-Jouët, Collard-Picard, Leclerc Briant, and the smaller producers—offered a unique interpretation of Champagne, shaped by their history, values, and commitment to the craft.

Visiting these houses was not just about tasting exceptional wines; it was an educational journey through time, culture the human spirit and bicycles (and thighs full of lactic acid!)

A little trip to champagne

Glögi & Gingerbread recipe