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Champagne with The Spectator

Champagne 4 nights Price from £2,894 per person
Departs: 26 Jun 2023
Departs: 26 Jun 2023

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Two titans of The Spectator drinks scene, drinks editor Jonathan Ray and business editor Martin Vander Weyer will be your hosts for this prestigious trip. Having arrived via Eurostar and transfer by minibus, we will be based at the Hotel De La Paix, in the heart of the ancient city of Reims, where kings of France were crowned for centuries. We will enjoy a walking tour of the city and a visit to the cathedral, as well as getting stuck into some of the city's most famous export, Champagne. 

To get as wide a view on Champagne as possible, we will visit large and small houses, well-established ones and new ones in the shape of Moet & Chandon, Taittinger, Bollinger, Brimoncourt and Henri Chauvet, meeting the wine-makers and visiting their vineyards and cellars. There will be some free time to explore independently, informal talks from both Jonathan and Martin, and we will finish our tour with a celebratory dinner accompanied by selected champagnes.

What's included

...when you travel with Kirker

  • Four nights’ accommodation with breakfast
  • Return Standard Premier (first class) Eurostar tickets from London St Pancras to Lille Europe
  • Two dinners & two lunches
  • Champagne tastings and talks as described
  • The services of the Tour Experts, Jonathan Ray and Martin Vander-Weyer

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Arrival in Reims & Champagne tasting

    We head to the Champagne region in the fastest and most convenient way, travelling from St. Pancras by Eurostar to Lille. Here we will be met by our coach for the drive to Reims in the heart of Champagne, arriving mid-afternoon. We will then check into the 4* Hotel de la Paix, which is perfectly located in the centre of the city and will be our base for the duration of the holiday. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax or explore the town. This evening, Jonathan Ray will host an introductory Champagne tasting at the hotel, before dinner together at a local restaurant.

  • Day 2 - Reims & Taittinger

    Today we will have a guided tour of Reims including the magnificent Reims Cathedral, setting for the coronation of many monarchs of France. Late in the afternoon, we visit the beautiful cellars at Taittinger, which date back to the Roman period, before driving to Taittinger’s Chateau de la Marquetterie near Epernay, where we have a fabulous private dinner.

  • Day 3 - Brimoncourt & Bollinger

    This morning we will drive to the historical heart of Champagne in the village of Aÿ, where we will start at Brimoncourt, whose headquarters are located in an old printing works designed by Gustave Eiffel. Next we visit famed Champagne house Bollinger, for a tour of the cellars and lunch, paired with various Champagnes served with the meal. We will return to the hotel in the afternoon and the rest of the day will be free in Reims and dinner will be taken independently, or you may wish to join Jonathan and Martin at their choice of restaurant.

  • Day 4 - Chauvet & Moet et Chandon

    Today we travel to Epernay for a morning visit to the charming small champagne house of Henri Chauvet, where we have a tasting with owners Mathilde and Damien Chauvet. Their traditional chalk cellars were constructed in 1892 and are situated 11 metres below ground, allowing for perfect maturation conditions at a constant temperature of 10C. We will then continue to Moet et Chandon, a contrasting titan of the Champagne industry, where we will visit their impressive maison for a tour and tasting. In the evening we will enjoy a celebratory final dinner, paired of course, with some of our favourite champagnes.

  • Day 5 - Return by Eurostar

    This morning we will depart the hotel after breakfast for a leisurely drive back to Lille and the lunchtime Eurostar from Lille to London.

Departure Dates and Prices

Eurostar Information:
Depart London St. Pancras 11.04 arrive Lille 13.26
Depart Lille 15.30 arrive London St. Pancras 16.00

26 Jun 2023

Status Available

Price from£2894

Single Supp.£200

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jonathan-ray.jpg

Jonathan Ray

Tour Leader

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jonathan-ray.jpg

Jonathan Ray

Tour Leader

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Jonathan Ray is the Drinks Editor for The Spectator magazine, drinks columnist of The Field and Spear’s Magazine, contributing editor of Boat International and author of several books on wine and spirits including All About Wine, Bloodlines & Grapevines, Drink More Fizz! and That’s the Spirit!. Jonathan has also written on food, travel and many other subjects for the Guardian, the New Statesman, the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and the Financial Times. He has a PhD in history from Royal Holloway, University of London, is married with two sons and lives in Brighton.

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Speak to an expert
020 7593 2288

jonathan-ray.jpg
Jonathan Ray

Tour Leader

Jonathan Ray is the Drinks Editor for The Spectator magazine, drinks columnist of The Field and Spear’s Magazine, contributing editor of Boat International and author of several books on wine and spirits including All About Wine, Bloodlines & Grapevines, Drink More Fizz! and That’s the Spirit!. Jonathan has also written on food, travel and many other subjects for the Guardian, the New Statesman, the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and the Financial Times. He has a PhD in history from Royal Holloway, University of London, is married with two sons and lives in Brighton.

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