Champagne Taittinger has added a significant new draw for visitors to Reims.
While the small town of Épernay is popular for the Avenue de Champagne, housing some of Champagne’s most illustrious maisons, the city of Reims is the working heart of the Champagne region.
Visitors from Paris, just 45 minutes away by train, are drawn to Reims’ top restaurants and hotels. But modern and imaginative wine tourism has been slower to reach its potential here. This year sees a notable uplift.
Following nearby Ruinart’s reopening of its renovated cellars in early 2024, it is Champagne Taittinger’s turn to reopen its doors, with a new visitor centre and three new tasting experiences for consumers.
The new visitor centre at Taittinger’s Saint-Nicaise cellars. Credit: Champagne Taittinger
Taittinger’s Saint-Nicaise cellars in Reims are part of the World Heritage-listed cultural landscape of Champagne. They are built on the site of the 13th century Abbey of Saint-Nicaise – the patron saint of Reims, killed by barbarians that overran the city in the 5th century – the crypts, tunnels and cellars of which remain intact. Today these Greco-Roman chalk cellars house Taittinger’s prestige cuvées, Comtes de Champagne and Comtes de Champagne Rosé, as they undergo extended ageing.
‘These cellars are the heart of the house – not only because they are beautiful, but because they are part of the patrimoine mondiale [UNESCO World Heritage list],’ explained Vitalie Taittinger, president of Champagne Taittinger, ‘It forces us to be humble with what we are doing here’.
Taittinger’s home at Saint-Nicaise combines the modernity of the new visitor centre with the history of the ancient crayères. Credit: Champagne Taittinger.
Visitors can choose between three new experiences, all featuring a tour of Taittinger’s Saint-Nicaise cellars:
- Instant Rosé €40 (£34): includes a tasting of the Réserve Brut and the Prestige Rosé
- Instant Gourmet €80 (£67): offers the Prestige Rosé and the Millésimé Brut paired with hors d’oeuvres by renowned local chef, Philippe Mille, of Reims’ Arbane restaurant
- Instant Comtes €80 (£67): features a tasting of the Réserve Brut, Prélude Grands Crus and Comtes de Champagne
‘We are hosting smaller groups than we did in the past – a maximum of 12-14 people for the Instant Gourmet and Instant Comtes experiences,’ said Claire Sarazin, communications manager at Champagne Taittinger, ‘We need time to engage with people’.
All visits are best reserved online; the Instant Gourmet experience requires 48 hours notice, with only two times available each day.
Credit: Champagne Taittinger
Eagle-eyed visitors will spot that there is further work underway at Saint-Nicaise. Taittinger is also opening a major new restaurant and bar in 2025 – an exciting first for the city, where wine experiences for the public are typically bookended by cellar tours.
The wider Champagne region’s hospitality offerings have been undergoing a revolution over the last five years. Taittinger’s investment in Reims is keeping the city well and truly in step.