Sparkling Tour

Sparkling Tour organises excursions through Champagne from Reims focused on small producers, the vignerons who make their own champagne. The big houses can be added on private outings.

Who they are

It is a small wine-tourism agency with an office at 8 allée du Vignoble, in Reims. It travels in air-conditioned Mercedes vans and is registered in the transport register of Atout France, the state tourism agency, with licence 2016/44/0000584. Its website does not give the names of those who run it or the founding year. Its proposal is to leave the cities: instead of the big brands' cellars in Reims or Épernay, it takes you to the villages and the family houses that make champagne from their own vines.

What the outings are like

In a small group or privately, for half a day or a full day. They pick you up at Reims station or your hotel, also in Épernay, and on request in Paris or other places for a supplement. They drive through the vineyards to the cru villages, where you visit families' cellars and taste between six and ten champagnes. The half day is held in the morning or afternoon. The full day passes through Hautvillers, the village of Dom Pérignon, and has lunch in Épernay.

In a small group, the half day costs €105 and the full day €210 per person. Private outings start from those same prices, and the tailor-made full-day outing, with lunch, big houses and small producers and a tasting of eight to ten champagnes, is priced by quote. They also offer hotel-and-excursion packages and a private chauffeur service.

Bookings and languages

You book with the form on its website or by phone on +33 6 49 05 47 52, which also takes SMS and WhatsApp; they reply within 24 hours. The office works Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 18:00, and at weekends only takes last-minute bookings. To request an excursion you just give the date, whether it is half-day or full-day and the number of people. The website does not publish cancellation conditions or maximum group size, so it is wise to ask when booking. Outings are in French and English. As with any alcohol tasting in France, it is not served to minors.

Getting to Reims

Reims is about 45 minutes from Paris by TGV, so you can reach the departure from the capital on the same day.