Champagne's Next Act: Where to Sip, Stay and Dine in France's Sparkling Wine Region
Champagne is shaking off its day-trip status. Beneath Reims, where 33 kings were crowned starting in 816 AD, ancient chalk quarries called crayères form a naturally cool, pitch-black labyrinth. UNESCO listed the region's vineyards, houses and cellars a decade ago, and overnight stays in Reims have jumped 60 percent to 1.8 million. Ruinart and Taittinger still age tens of millions of bottles in those chalk cathedrals, and Ruinart now mixes contemporary art into its cellars.
Mathieu Roland-Billecart, CEO of Champagne Billecart-Salmon, says the area is more open than ever. His advice: visit a large house, a tiny grower, and something in between, and rent a car to explore the villages where the wine is actually made. Getting there is quick — a 30-minute TGV from Charles de Gaulle airport. Belmond's barge Coquelicot cruises the Marne Valley, stopping at Reims' 800-year-old cathedral and Hautvillers Abbey, where Dom Pérignon spent nearly 50 years. Moët & Chandon offers cellar tours with hand-disgorgement demos, and Pressoria tells the story of terroir through the senses. A new summer event, Pop et Hip Hop, pairs live hip-hop with grower champagnes at an 11th-century abbey.
Dining is just as lively. L'Assiette Champenoise holds three Michelin stars under chef Arnaud Lallement. Two-starred Racine and the izakaya-style Yumemi Saké et Bulles bring Japanese flair, while ATOME is a 10-seat private dinner with a changing menu and grower champagnes by the glass. Céline Agrain of Hostellerie Briqueterie & Spa notes that Reims and Épernay now boast 13 Michelin stars across eight restaurants.
For stays, Domaine Les Crayères remains the grande dame, with rooms fit for royalty and two stars at Le Parc. Le N3 by Champagne Thiénot hides a rooftop bar in central Reims. Loisium Wine & Spa Hôtel offers 101 rooms overlooking the vines, Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa mirrors an amphitheater above the Marne Valley, and Hostellerie Briqueterie & Spa turns a former brick factory into a country-style retreat.