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Three growers on the Montagne de Reims

A day from Reims with three families who grow their own grapes and make their own Champagne. Lunch in a village, and time to put your questions to the people who actually make the wine.

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  • 8 hoursfrom Reims to the Montagne and back
  • 3 growersgrower-producers, labeled RM
  • €560 (~$625 USD)per vehicle, by sedan

Champagne from the people who grow it

Most of the Champagne sold around the world comes from houses that buy all or part of their grapes from thousands of growers. Some of those growers keep their grapes and make the wine themselves, from the press to the label. They are called récoltants-manipulants, or grower-producers, and their bottles carry the letters RM. This day is spent entirely with them.

At a grower’s, a wine often comes from one plot or one year. One estate bottles a single named vineyard site, another sets a vintage aside, a third ages its wines in oak barrels or makes a little still red wine, under the Coteaux Champenois appellation. Three cellars, three styles, to compare in one day.

We choose the three estates based on what you like to drink, the days they receive visitors and the language you need, then we book the visits. These are small cellars: you learn their names and your appointment times when you receive the written program, after booking.

Length
about 8 hours, door to door
Pickup
your hotel, the train station or your address in Reims
Visits
three grower-producers on the Montagne de Reims
Lunch
in a village, paid at the restaurant
Best for
wine lovers who know the big brands and want to taste something else

Cellar to cellar across the Montagne

Leaving at 9:30 am. The order of the three estates depends on their appointments.

  1. 9:30 amReims

    Up to the Montagne

    Pickup at your hotel, the train station or your address. The Montagne de Reims is more a long wooded hill than a mountain: its nearest villages are fifteen minutes’ drive away, the farthest about half an hour.

  2. 10:00 amFirst estate

    The vines, the winery, the first glasses

    Depending on the estate and the weather, the visit starts out in the rows or goes straight to the winery. The grower, or someone from the family, shows you where the grapes grow and how they are pressed, then pours the estate’s Champagnes. Allow an hour to an hour and a half.

  3. 11:45 amSecond estate

    A counterpoint to the first

    An estate picked to contrast with the first: aging in oak barrels, a wine from a single named site, an old vintage, or the still red wine that some growers on the Montagne make.

  4. 1:00 pmA village

    Lunch between two cellars

    A table in a village on the Montagne or close by, booked for you depending on the day of the week. You pay for the meal on site.

  5. 3:00 pmThird estate

    The final grower

    Closer to Reims if possible, so the day ends without a long drive. This is often where people buy, once they have compared all three styles.

  6. 4:30 pmReims

    Back into town

    Arrival at your hotel or the train station around 5 pm, with cases from all three cellars in the trunk.

Times are approximate: each grower gives us a time slot, and we build the day around them.

RM, NM, CM: who made the bottle

Two letters followed by a number must appear, in small print, on every Champagne label. They tell you who made the wine, or who sells it under their brand: look for them to find a grower’s Champagne back home.

LettersWhoWhat it means
RMrécoltant-manipulanta grower who makes Champagne from the grapes of their own vines: all three estates of the day
NMnégociant-manipulanta house that buys all or part of its grapes: most of the big brands
CMcoopérative de manipulationa cooperative that makes its members’ wine and sells it under its own brand
RCrécoltant-coopérateura grower who sends their grapes to the cooperative and sells the bottles it made under their own name
SRsociété de récoltantsgrowers, often from one family, who have formed a company to make and sell their wine together
NDnégociant-distributeura brand that buys finished bottles and sells them under its own name

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
€560 (~$625 USD)

Van

up to 7 guests · Mercedes V-Class

Full day
€690 (~$770 USD)
With 7 guests
€99 (~$110 USD) per person

If the day runs longer

beyond the planned time

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

Tastings at the growers and lunch are paid separately, on site: we make the bookings 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

  • The three tastings, paid at each estate: we tell you their price before you confirm
  • Your lunch, at the restaurant
  • Any bottles you buy at the cellar door
From Paris

The full day from your Paris hotel

Staying in Paris? Your chauffeur picks you up at your hotel in the morning and takes you back in the evening, with about two hours on the road each way to the Montagne. This day with the growers is then quoted on request; for reference, our Champagne day trip from Paris is €1040 (~$1165 USD) per vehicle by sedan.

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

Questions we often get

How does this compare with the Champagne Discovery Tour?

The Champagne Discovery Tour fits into four hours and pairs a great house in Reims with a grower. Here, the whole day is spent with growers, at three family estates, with no big house. It suits people who have already toured the cellars of a big brand.

Do the growers give tours in English?

Not all of them. If you need English, we only choose estates that give the visit in English. For a visit in Japanese, a Japanese-speaking guide can come with you for the whole day, at extra cost (€560 (~$625 USD)), except on Sundays and public holidays.

Does this work on a Saturday or a Sunday?

On Saturdays, yes, with estates that are open that day: some close for the whole weekend. On Sundays, almost no grower is open, so the day runs Monday through Saturday.

Can we see just one or two growers?

Yes, as a half day, with one or two estates close to Reims. Tell us what interests you and we will send you a quote.

Can we buy bottles there?

Yes, at cellar-door prices, from each of the three growers. If you are flying home, keep the weight in mind: a case of six bottles weighs close to 10 kg (about 22 pounds).

What is the largest group you can take?

Three by sedan, seven by van, and the price is per vehicle, not per guest. Growers’ cellars are often small: for 8 or more, ask us for a quote, which we confirm once each estate has agreed.

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

Three growers’ cellars, one day

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
★★★★★
52 Google reviews

★★★★★ 5.0 on Tripadvisor · 3 reviews

★★★★★

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
★★★★★

On time. Efficient. Perfect service.

JWJennifer Wilwant
October 2026

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