Hautvillers

First of all, the tour visited a large producer (Moët) known as a ‘negotiant’ as they buy in most of their grapes from producers. Moët have very plush premises in Epernay and the tour was well-polished, finishing off with a sample of Moët Imperiale. The next stop was at a small producer and champagne maker, Julien Chopin. The sampling was far more generous with 3 Champagnes and a dessert wine. They served lunch too, which was plentiful and tasty. This was our favourite stop and the Champagne was very nice. Finally we went to a cooperative whose name escapes me. They have an emphasis of using Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunière grapes. We had 3 samples here, though a bit smaller in size than in the other two producers. Throughout the trip we were given lots of information about the Champagne making process, it was fascinating. The driver and guide for the day was Julia and she was fantastic. She was very knowledgeable, had a pleasant personality and spoke excellent English too.