Maison Pommery

Pommery has received visitors at its Reims estate since 1878. Its cellars occupy old crayères, chalk quarries from Gallo-Roman times that Madame Pommery joined with galleries thirty metres underground; today they are 18 km of tunnels and are on the World Heritage list.

Who they are

The house owes its present form to Madame Pommery, who built the estate and in 1874 created brut champagne. She had some sixty crayères joined with galleries and decorated. Today Pommery belongs to the Vranken-Pommery group, whose owners, Paul-François and Nathalie Vranken, restored the Villa Demoiselle, an Art Nouveau and Art Deco house on the estate, reopened in 2008, with furniture and objects by Majorelle, Gallé or Daum.

The cellars are kept at about 10 °C and 98% humidity all year, so it is wise to bring a warm layer even if it is hot outside. Since 2002 the house has exhibited contemporary art in the galleries, the Pommery Experience; several visits include the current exhibition, Blooming.

The visits

• Brut Royal: 45 minutes through the estate and the galleries, 116 steps down, with a glass of Brut Royal. €30 with audio guide and €36 with a guide.
• Villa Demoiselle: an hour and a half through the house, with a tasting of Demoiselle Tête de Cuvée. €30 self-guided and €36 with a guide.
• Henry Vasnier: two hours, the most complete visit. €55 self-guided, with Brut Royal and Demoiselle, and €65 with a guide, with Brut Apanage and Diamant Brut.
• Gastronomic: three hours with a guide and lunch or dinner with house champagnes, €150.

There is also a double visit of the estate and the villa and a private tasting with a sommelier of vintage champagnes, such as the Cuvée Louise, which are requested separately.

Bookings and languages

Visits are booked online from the visits page of its website, which refers to two ticket offices, one for the estate and another for the Villa Demoiselle. They are in French or English, with a guide or audio guide. The website does not publish fixed times or cancellation conditions: they are seen when choosing a date at the ticket office. For groups, receptions or questions, there is a contact form. The descent to the cellars is 116 steps; anyone with reduced mobility can consult the accessibility statement on its website.