BIENVENUES À CHAMPAGNE!

Arrivals from CDG or Orly (or Paris city – Gare de l’Est) on the TGV to the Gare de Chaumont, then transfer 20 minutes for check in to our rooms at the charming Hostellerie La Montagne. One of the Champagne region’s gems, the hotel is known for its relaxed elegance and local ingredient-focused Michelin restaurant.

Welcome drink and orientation tasting

We’ll kick off the evening with a welcome drink (bubbles of course!) and a Champagne orientation tasting in an intimate room at the hotel. The Vines wine experts will introduce the Aube region and its history, terroir and unique Champagnes.

Dinner at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant

We’ll follow the tasting with a dinner prepared just for us by famed chef Jean-Baptiste Natali in his world class one-Michelin star restaurant. With a career spanning Daniel Boulud’s New York restaurant, La Mamounia in Marrakech, and kitchens across Asia, Chef Natali brings a global touch to the rich flavors of Champagne. Along with the memorable meal we will continue our Aube exploration as we taste vintage and Prestige Champagnes from their deep wine list.

AUBE EXPLORATION

Private guided visit to the nearby Charles de Gaulle Memorial

Located just a 10-minute walk from our hotel in Colombey-les-deux-Eglises, the Charles de Gaulle Memorial is a sight to behold. We’ll get a guided tour from a local historian, who will explain to us the significance, both historical and cultural, of this monument to one of France’s greatest politicians.

Tasting and lunch at a local grower

The Aube is one of Champagne’s most exciting regions, and we can’t wait to show you why. We’ll visit one of the dynamic young growers of this Pinot Noir-specializing region, tasting through the Champagnes and then sitting for a lunch prepared for us by a local chef.

Rest and relaxation

Aperitif tasting at a local grower

Watch the sun go down as we walk among the vines and taste the Champagnes of a highly regarded grower.

Casual dinner at a local favorite bistro

We’ll enjoy a dinner featuring locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, accompanied by some of the region’s best grower Champagnes, and joined by a young Champagne winemaker who will pour for us her family’s treasures.

DOSAGE & OTHER DELIGHTS WITH DRAPPIER

Cellar tour, tasting and dosage session with the Drappier family

Dosage is one of the most enjoyable steps of the process, and you’ll be right there doing it live with Michel and Hugo Drappier. After a tour of the Drappiers’ ancient cellars and tasting through a selection of Drappier’s own finished Champagnes, we will sit down and adjust the dryness of your Champagnes together. Those who aren’t doing their dosage will have the opportunity to experiment with it in a “play dosage session.”

Lunch at La Garde Champetre

After working up an appetite, we will sit for a seasonal lunch at this gem of a restaurant (also a working farm) set in a typical Aube village. The chef prepares fresh and delicious food from their farm and garden a la minute, and the meal will be perfectly complemented by their selection of fascinating local growers’ Champagne.

Rest and relaxation

Farewell vintage Champagne dinner at a local favorite

We’ll say goodbye fittingly, with a lineup of spectacular vintage Champagnes that will leave you truly impressed by what the Aube region has to offer.

ADIEU

Check out and morning departures from La Montaigne