Reims and Épernay hold some of the most famous cellars in the world, from grand marble staircases to family growers who press their own grapes. Here is how to choose which Champagne houses to visit, how the tastings really work, and how to book, with a private chauffeur who takes care of the road so you can enjoy the glass. Notes from Service VTC Reims.
Two worlds, one region
Champagne is really two experiences under one name. On one side stand the grand houses, the marques you already know, with cathedral-like chalk cellars, centuries of history and a sense of occasion. On the other are the growers, the small family estates that farm their own vines and make their own cuvées, where you often taste across a kitchen table with the person who made the wine.
There is no single right answer. What suits you depends on what you are looking for: the spectacle and the famous names, or the intimacy and the sense of terroir. Most first-time visitors are happiest pairing one grand house with one grower on the same day. And a word of realism up front, you cannot do more than two or three properly in a day. Between the visit, the tasting and lunch, the hours fill quickly.
This guide walks you through the great names, what the growers add, how to decide, and the practical side of booking and tasting.
The great Champagne houses
Ruinart
The oldest established Champagne house, founded in 1729. Its chalk crayères in Reims are listed as UNESCO World Heritage, a breathtaking descent into the Gallo-Roman quarries.
Taittinger
Family-run in the heart of Reims, with cellars carved beneath the Saint-Nicaise hill and the celebrated Comtes de Champagne. One of the most complete house visits.
Veuve Clicquot
The house of the famous widow and its unmistakable yellow label. Home of the riddling table, an invention that shaped how Champagne is made everywhere.
Pommery
Vast vaulted galleries eighteen meters down, adorned with monumental carvings and contemporary art. One of the most theatrical cellar visits in Reims.
G.H. Mumm
The Cordon Rouge house, a working cellar right in the city and one of the easiest grand names to combine with the rest of a Reims day.
Moët & Chandon
The largest house of all, with twenty-eight kilometers of cellars beneath the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay. The grandest name, and the grandest scale.
Lanson
One of the last houses to keep a walled vineyard within Reims itself, and a classic non-malolactic style. A visit that pairs cellar and vines in one place.
Dom Pérignon
The prestige cuvée born at Hautvillers. A rare and highly exclusive visit rather than an open door, best secured well in advance. See our dedicated page below.
Krug
Every cuvée is conceived as a prestige cuvée. Long closed to the public, the house has offered a few private visits with an ambassador since September 2026, which we arrange only as part of a full day with a chauffeur, one to two months ahead.
Louis Roederer
The house of Cristal, still family-owned and independent. Same format since September 2026: rare private visits with an ambassador, only as part of a full day with a chauffeur, one to two months ahead.
Grower champagnes, the other half of the story
Look for the small letters "RM" on a label, for récoltant-manipulant, and you have found a grower who farms the vines and makes the wine on the same estate. These are family operations, often a single village, sometimes a single slope. You will not find them in every guidebook, and that is precisely the point.
Why make room for one on your day? Because you taste with the person whose name is on the bottle, in a working cellar rather than a visitor center. Because the wines speak of one place rather than a house style blended across the whole region. And because the welcome is personal, the groups are small, and the value is often remarkable. We work with growers across the Montagne de Reims and the Marne valley and can open doors that are not on any public booking page.
Grand house or grower, which is right for you?
Go grand if…
You want history and architecture, the famous marques, the sweep of the crayères and a real sense of occasion. Ideal for a first visit and for a special celebration.
Go grower if…
You want intimacy, to meet the winemaker, wines rooted in a single terroir and honest value. Ideal if you have tasted the big names before, or simply prefer a quieter welcome.
Do both
The pairing our guests love most: a grand house in the morning for the spectacle, a grower after lunch for the soul. A private chauffeur is what makes that rhythm possible.
How the visits and tastings work
Book ahead
Grand houses fill up weeks in advance from May to October, and growers welcome guests strictly by appointment. Plan early, or let us arrange the slots for you.
Allow the time
Count roughly an hour and a half to two hours per house, tour and tasting included. That is why two houses a day is the sweet spot, three at the very most.
Language
The grand houses run tours in English. Many growers speak mostly French, so we help with introductions and translation, and match you to an estate that fits.
Tastings are paid on site
Visits and tastings are booked and paid directly at each house, usually from around twenty-five to sixty euros per person at the grand names, less or free with a purchase at many growers.
Reims or Épernay
Most grand cellars sit in Reims, close together. Moët and the Avenue de Champagne are in Épernay, about twenty-five minutes away. Both fit in a single day with a driver.
Nobody skips the tasting
The real luxury of a chauffeur is that everyone gets to taste. We handle the road and the parking between houses while you enjoy the glass.
Let us build your day among the houses
Every one of these tours can be shaped around the houses you want to see, grand names and growers alike, private chauffeur and logistics included. Visits and tastings are paid on site, at the house of your choice.
Champagne Discovery Tour
A half-day introduction: one grand house and one grower, perfect for a first visit.
Crayères UNESCO Tour
The Gallo-Roman chalk cellars listed as World Heritage, beneath the Saint-Nicaise hill.
Avenue de Champagne
A day in Épernay along the "world's most beautiful avenue", home of Moët and the great cellars.
Confidential Growers
Grower champagnes off the beaten track, visited in a small, intimate group.
Grape Varieties & Grand Crus
The three terroirs, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, across the classified villages.
All our tours
An overview of our Champagne tours and the houses we drive you to.
What travelers ask us about visiting the houses
Which Champagne house is the best to visit?
There is no single best, only the best for you. For history and the spectacular chalk crayères, Ruinart, Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot in Reims are hard to beat. For intimacy and terroir, a small grower wins. Most visitors are happiest pairing one grand house with one grower on the same day.
Do I need to book a Champagne house visit in advance?
Yes. The grand houses fill up weeks ahead from May to October, and growers welcome guests strictly by appointment. Booking early is essential, and we are happy to secure the slots and build the timing around them.
How much does a Champagne tasting cost?
At the grand houses, a visit with tasting usually runs from around twenty-five to sixty euros per person depending on the cuvées poured. Many growers charge less, or waive the fee with a purchase. Visits are booked and paid directly at each house, not through us.
Can you visit Dom Pérignon?
It exists, but it is very exclusive: around 360 € per person, two hours, two glasses of Dom Pérignon, six guests maximum, in French or English, and to be reserved at least two months ahead. We offer it only as part of a full day with your chauffeur: we secure the slot when it is available and build the Épernay and Hautvillers day around it. See our Dom Pérignon visit from Reims for the full detail.
How many houses can I visit in one day?
Realistically two, three at the very most. Each house takes an hour and a half to two hours with the tasting, and a proper lunch deserves its place too. Trying to cram in more means rushing the part you came for.
Reims or Épernay for the houses?
Reims gathers Ruinart, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Mumm and Lanson, all close together. Épernay has Moët and the Avenue de Champagne, about twenty-five minutes away. With a private chauffeur you can take in both without choosing.
Grand house or grower, which is better?
Neither is better, they are different. Grand houses offer history, architecture and famous names. Growers offer intimacy, a single terroir and the winemaker in person. The happiest days usually include one of each.
Can you drive us between the houses?
Yes, that is exactly what we do. A private chauffeur ties the cellars together, in Reims and over to Épernay, so everyone in your party gets to taste and no one watches the road. Visits are paid on site. See our Champagne tours to start planning.