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Nothing but Chardonnay, on the Côte des Blancs

A day with the growers of the Côte des Blancs, south of Épernay, tasting the same grape from one village to the next. It is meant for people who already love blanc de blancs and want to understand what sets one apart from another.

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  • 8 hoursfrom Reims to the Côte des Blancs and back
  • 2 or 3growers, in different villages
  • €660 (~$735 USD)per vehicle, by sedan

Cramant and Le Mesnil, the same wine?

Most Champagnes are a blend of several grapes. The Côte des Blancs, which runs about 12 miles south of Épernay and faces east, is planted almost entirely with Chardonnay, on chalk that shows through between the rows. The growers here mostly make blanc de blancs: Champagne from white grapes only.

The day comes down to one question: does the same grape, on the same chalk, make the same wine in Cramant and in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger? We start with a grower who bottles each village separately, then move on to another village, so you can answer it glass in hand. This is not a day of big cellars, and we would rather say so up front: for a first trip to Champagne, another day will suit you better.

Length
about 8 hours, door to door
Pickup
your hotel, the train station or your address in Reims
Visits
two or three growers on the Côte des Blancs, in different villages
Lunch
a table booked for you along the way, paid on site
Best for
wine lovers who already know their Champagne

Two villages, three if the pace allows

A 9:30 am start, with two growers and a third visit if you like.

  1. 9:30 amReims

    South to the Côte des Blancs

    About forty minutes’ drive over the Montagne de Reims and through Épernay. You reach the slope from the north, at Chouilly and Cramant, and see right away how steep it is and which way it faces.

  2. 10:15 amA first village

    From one village to the next

    A grower who bottles their villages separately sets the glasses side by side: the same grape, two or three villages. This is the benchmark for the day. Allow an hour to an hour and a half.

  3. 12:00 pmÉpernay or Aÿ

    Lunch back up north

    A table booked for you in Épernay or Aÿ, depending on the day of the week, about twenty minutes north of Avize. You pay for the meal at the restaurant.

  4. 2:00 pmFarther south

    A second grower

    Another village, another slope. This grower may make wine from several grand cru villages in a single cellar, or from their own village only: we pick them in response to what you tasted that morning.

  5. 3:45 pmIf you wish

    A third visit

    A third grower, or a shorter tasting. We never force it: two visits you really take in are worth more than three in a rush.

  6. 5:30 pmReims

    Back to Reims

    Drop-off at your hotel or the train station. You can buy from the very first visit: the car stays with you all day.

Times are approximate: each house sets its own time slots, and we build the day around them.

The grands crus of the Côte

Six villages on the Côte des Blancs are classified grand cru, the top rank. The ranking comes from the old échelle des crus, a scale that set the price of grapes village by village.

VillageRankWhere
Chouillygrand cruin the north, just outside Épernay
Oirygrand cruin the north, on the plain
Cramantgrand cruat the north end of the slope
Avizegrand cruin the middle of the slope
Ogergrand crusouth of Avize
Le Mesnil-sur-Ogergrand cruin the south, before Vertus
Cuis, Vertuspremier cruat either end of the slope

Price for the car and chauffeur

One fixed price per vehicle for the full day, quoted before you book. It stays the same whatever the number of guests, up to the vehicle’s capacity.

Sedan

up to 3 guests · Mercedes C-Class, GLE or Tesla Model Y, depending on availability

Full day
€660 (~$735 USD)

Van

up to 7 guests · Mercedes V-Class

Full day
€790 (~$885 USD)
With 7 guests
€113 (~$125 USD) per person

If the day runs longer

beyond the planned time

Extra hour, sedan
€75 (~$85 USD)
Extra hour, van
€90 (~$100 USD)

Tours, tastings and lunch are paid separately, directly to each house and to the restaurant: we book them for you and tell you their price before you confirm. For 8 guests or more, ask us for a quote.

What is included, what you pay on site

Included in the price

  • The car and your chauffeur, from your address in Reims and back
  • Fuel, tolls and parking
  • Your chauffeur waiting during the visits
  • Planning the route and booking your visits with the houses
  • Your chauffeur’s lunch

Paid on site

  • Tours and tastings, at each grower: we tell you their price before you confirm
  • Lunch, at the restaurant
  • Any bottles you buy
From Paris

The full day from your Paris hotel

From central Paris, allow about two hours on the road to the Côte des Blancs. We can run this day from your Paris hotel, quoted on request; our Champagne day trip from Paris is €1040 (~$1160 USD) per vehicle by sedan.

See the day trip from Paris · The full day from your Paris hotel

Questions we often get

Is this a good day for a first visit?

Not really: it compares wines that are close to each other, which means more to people who have already tasted a range of Champagnes.

Why don’t you name the growers?

Because they host only a few people at a time, and their availability changes from week to week. We give you the price of each visit before you confirm, and their names in the written program once the day is booked.

Can we visit on a weekend?

On Saturdays, yes, by appointment; some growers only open in the morning that day. On Sundays, very little is open on the Côte. And some estates close for the second half of August. We check your date before we suggest the day.

How is this different from the Grape Varieties & Grands Crus tour?

The Grape Varieties & Grands Crus tour has you taste the three Champagne grapes on three terroirs. Here, you stay with Chardonnay and with one slope: you compare neighboring villages, not different grapes.

Can we come as a group?

These growers host small groups: for 8 or more, ask us for a quote, and we check with them before confirming. Up to 7, the price does not change: it is set per vehicle, a sedan for up to 3 guests and a van for up to 7.

How do we book?

Send us the date, the number of guests and your pickup address, through the form or by phone. We reply within 2 hours during the day with the plan and the fixed price. Your booking is confirmed once you sign the quote.

How do we pay?

By card (secure payment link) or by bank transfer, when you book. We do not take cash. We can issue the invoice in your company’s name.

What languages do your chauffeurs speak?

Our chauffeurs speak French and English. A Japanese-speaking guide is available on request, at extra cost.

What if we need to cancel?

Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before pickup. Between 48 and 24 hours, half the price is due, and the full price after that. The houses have their own cancellation terms for their tours. Details are on our cancellation and refund page.

More days in Champagne

Each day is priced per vehicle and planned around your dates.

Guides to help you plan your visit

Growers open their doors by appointment only

Tell us your date, the number of guests and where to pick you up. We reply within 2 hours during the day with the plan and a fixed price.

Request a quote +33 6 51 49 90 81
Google reviews

What our clients say

4.9
★★★★★
53 Google reviews

★★★★★ 5.0 on Tripadvisor · 3 reviews

★★★★★

Great experience! Helped us navigate the Champagne region and Paris.... flawless! Cars were mint inside and out! Interactions with Louis were professional and timely. Drivers Omar and Joel were very accommodating!

TGTony Grilli
October 2026
★★★★★

Louis and his team were outstanding! The communication was quick, clear, and accurate. Our driver Abdellatif was on-time and professional. 5-star service. Louis checked in through our day. We will always use VTC Reims for our annual trip…

GCGlen Campbell
October 2026
★★★★★

We had a wonderful experience in September. We decided to visit France for my wife’s bday week on rather late notice. I wanted to include some special visits as we both enjoy champagne. We were able to get a wonderful Dom Perignon tour w…

TDThomas Donahue
October 2026
★★★★★

Thank you to Louis for helping us schedule and to Cyril for giving us the best day trip to Reims/Champagne/Hautvillers. We had 3-4 things we really wanted to do and see, other than that we let them take the wheel (literally), and we had…

NWNikki Wyatt
October 2026
★★★★★

VTC Reims is an excellent car service for the Champagne region. I contacted them on the plane to France and received very fast response from Louis. It must’ve been middle of the night for them and yet they were prompt and booked my priva…

WLWendy Liu
September 2026
★★★★★

I hosted a group with private transfer from Paris to Champagne and also travel to vineyards all over Champagne. First class service by Cyril and his team. Beautiful vehicles and willing to accommodate some late changes in our schedule. I…

MMMatthew Massey
June 2026

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