Champagne Houses and Historic Sites of Reims, France

Reims is an unofficial capital of the Champagne region of France, which was the main reason for me to visit.   It is a small city in the northeastern part of France, a short train ride from Paris, which makes it perfect day trip destination.  I must confess, I love bubby, and my philosophy in life is "Life is better with bubbles".  This is why it was a priority for me to visit the Champagne region during a trip to France. Champagne is an AOC wine, which means in order for the sparking wine to be called champagne, it must come from the specific geographic region and be produced using traditional method. 

Therefore, not surprisingly, Reims is home to numerous famous champagne houses or maisons including Veuve Cliquot, Piper Heidsieck, Taittinger, Pommery, and Ruinart, to name a few.  We chose to visit two champagne houses - Ruinart and Veuve Cliquot.

Reims is also often referred to as the Coronation city or a City of Kings - more on that later in the post.

Getting to Reims was easy using the TGV high-speed train from Paris.  We purchased the tickets online in advance.  The train car was comfortable and we had just enough time to have some delicious pastries we picked up at Paris train station for breakfast.

 

 

reims train station

Champagne House Maison Ruinart

Our first stop - Maison Ruinart - was chosen for its unique history.  Founded in 1729, it is considered one of the oldest champagne houses in France.  We chose "A tour of the Crayères" - a guided two-hour tour of the cellars with a tasting of four cuvees.  All the tours are by appointment only with limited availability - I strongly recommend to book early.  You can do it online on their website.

We took a taxi from the train station to Maison Runiart.  We were greeted by our guide and shown to the tasting room which was a well appointed living room where we waited for the rest of the tour group to arrive.  On the way to the Crayères, we crossed a courtyard with a statue of Dom Runiart - a Benedictine  monk who first brought the knowledge of "wine with bubbles" back to Reims.  As we descended down steep staircase,  the temperature and climate change was quite noticeable.  The tunnels were quite extensive with rows of champagne bottles of various vintages stacked or on riddling racks.  The Crayères were first aquired by Maison Ruinart in mid-18th century and were classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2015.  They had a magical aura especially in the "cathedral section".

Ruinart Champagne Tasting

After the tour of the cellars, we returned back to the cozy tasting room.  As mentioned begore, the Maison Ruinart is considered an oldest Champagne house and is regarded as premium luxury brand.   It has a unique rounded bottle shape.   There is a replica of the The Oyster Dinner painting by Jean-François de Troy. It includes the first appearance of a champagne bottle in painting and unmistakably shaped as a Runiart Champagne.

We were able to try four different champagnes that were pre-selected for us.  Two of their classics and two of their flagship Dom Runiart champagnes.  All were amazing champagnes, but my favorite was the 2004 Dom Ruinart Rose for its crisp yet flavorful nature and gorgeous pink with a hint of orange color.

  • BLANC DE BLANCS - the emblem of Ruinart Brand and 100% Chardonnay.
  • RUINART ROSÉ - a blend of 45% Chardonnay and 55% Pinot Noir.
  • 2007 DOM RUINART BLANC DE BLANCS - made from 100% Chardonnay Grand Cru, matured for over 10 years.
  • 2004 DOM RUINART ROSÉ - Composed of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, it is matured in the cellar for 12 years.

 

Champagne House Maison Veuve Clicquot

The second stop on our champagne house tour was Maison Veuve Clicquot.  We didn't book a tour due to scheduling, but wanted to pay homage to my favorite champagne brand.  The tasting room was modern and felt a lot more commercial compared to the intimate setting of Maison Ruinart.  The showroom's shelves were filled with different designs of packaging - something Veuve Clicquot is famous for.  We tasted a few different cuvees and picked up a few bottles to take back.

The advantage of visiting Veuve Clicquot, we were able to try any of their vintages and varieties either as a taste or as a glass.  The two champagne houses offer different types of experiences and I was glad to try them both.

Historic Sites of Reims

After wonderful morning or tours and tastings, it was time to get some lunch and explore historic sites of Reims.  We walked through the narrow streets and grabbed lunch at an outdoor café near Erlon Square (aka Place Drouet d'Erlon).  With pedestrian only street with many restaurants and shops, it was a great place to rest and people watch.  The centerpiece of the area is the Subé Fountain draped in bright flowers and topped with a gilded woman at the top, which is the symbol of Reims.

Reims Cathedral

After lunch, we proceeded to the architectural treasure of Reims  - the Reims Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims).  It is a 13th century gothic cathedral - a imposing structure with beautiful stained glass windows.  As mentioned earlier, Reims is often referred to as Coronation city.  This is because Reims was a site of coronation for 25 kings of France.  Notabely, the cathedral’s historic site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991.

A short walk from the cathedral, Royal Square (Place Royale) with a statue of king Louis XV of France in its center.  We wondered through the narrow streets of Reims taking in the atmosphere and its charm.  Reims Town Hall (aka Hôtel de ville de Reims) is another beautiful building - a nice example of French Renaissance architecture.

A short walk from the cathedral, Royal Square (Place Royale) with a statue of king Louis XV of France in its center.  We wondered through the narrow streets of Reims taking in the atmosphere and its charm.  Reims Town Hall (aka Hôtel de ville de Reims) is another beautiful building - a nice example of French Renaissance architecture.