Champagne
Champagne stretches from around Troyes in the south (in the sub-district known as the Aube), to Reims in the north, in the Marne district. The vineyards of the Marne are the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs (where the white grapes are concentrated) and the Vallée de la Marne. Reims, nearby, is also home to many of the great names in Champagne: Krug, Roederer, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Taittinger and Charles Heidsieck are a few houses with their cellars here.
Champagne is just 280kms by motorway from Calais. A journey made all the more comfortable when you travel with A&C as you can sit back and enjoy the scenery whilst sipping your tea, coffee or a glass of wine. You could also choose to join the tours by Eurostar and T.G.V from London and Paris or you could always drive if you prefer.
The escorted Champagne Weekends
These are our original tours, run by A&C since 1987. The aim of the tours is to taste a wide spectrum of Champagnes, starting at breakfast! Escape to Champagne for the weekend and with a knowledgeable, approachable Arblaster & Clarke Wine Guide. You'll visit a good cross section of Houses and growers and experience our unique, enjoyable and informative comparative tastings each evening. As you drive through the vineyards the wine guide will give a commentary covering all aspects of Champagne, from the history, to the grape growing, to the controversy over expanding the vineyards.
We offer a series of dates throughout the year from February for our annual Valentines Champagne tour, which in 2010 is based in Epernay, to the last weekend of November, which usually co-incides with the Christmas market in Reims. See Champagne Weekends
The Champagne Extra tours
On these extra special long weekends all elements of the tour are upgraded. We stay in the superior rooms at our central Reims hotel and in our comparative champagne tasting we include a selection of prestigious cuvees from leading Champagne Houses. The visits and the tastings at the houses are high calibre and two gourmet meals are included either both as private guests in top champagne houses or sometimes the second meal is at a Michelin starred restaurant. On the journey we either include Club Class on the ferry, or where we travel by shuttle we include a picnic meal in each travel direction. We are never more than just 24 participants on the trip and a Master of Wine or company founder, Tim Clarke who is one of the leading experts on Champagne, leads the tour. See Champagne Extra Tours
The Ultimate Champagne
… is just that – we operate this superb trip just once, or perhaps twice a year and simply include the best of everything. Our accommodation is exclusive to our party and is a comfortable Manor House in one of the Grand Cru Villages owned by a leading vigneron which also has an indoor pool. The wine guide is one of the UK’s most famous wine experts and they host an introductory vertical tasting of vintages of the greatest Champagnes, and also include rare visits to the Ultimate top houses where we are invited to superb tastings, lunches and dinners hosted by the winemakers or owners. See Ultimate Champagne Tour
Independent Champagne Trips
If you can’t make any of our programmed dates or you would prefer to travel on your own or with a group of friends, we can arrange a variety of options for you. Visit our Independent Tours section, where you will see a couple of options and longer as you select one of these exactly, the prices are as shown. See Independent Champagne trips
If you would like a bespoke trip, tailored exactly to your requirements and with high level visits, we will be happy to discuss this with you and quote, but this will be more expensive than the offers in our “off the peg” Independent Holidays.
Self-drive wine tours – We don’t do them! We absolutely do not encourage self-driving whilst on your wine tour – not only do you then have to worry about getting to your appointment on time, you need to appoint both a driver (who needs to forego the tastings, as of course drink-drive laws are strictly enforced in France and limits are lower than the UK) and a navigator. Having a guide and a driver for the day takes all the stress out of this, though of course it does not come cheaply it is very much worth it for the added information you gain and for the peace of mind for your enjoyment and safety.
Champagne Vineyard Walk
We have arranged gentle walks from Champagne village to Champagne village in previous years and continue to offer this for small groups (minimum 8) at any time of year to suit your party’s date. Superb Champagne vineyard walk
Champagne Tours for Corpororate Hospitality or Staff Incentives
Since our first Corporate Hospitality trip to Champagne in 1988 for a leading bathroom manufacturer A&C have hosted champagne and wine tours around the world for companies. We can arrange something special for your company from 2 - 200 participants. We have been organising incentive travel for over 20 years and have considerable experience at organising large events around the world."Champagne for Corporate Hospitality":/themes/view/28/corporate
Champagne Tours for your private wine club, party, special celebrations
Let us take the strain out of making the arrangements for your next wine club trip, or let the leading champagne tour specialists at A&C arrange your special family celebration. (Though please note that we do not offer Hen or Stag parties). Champagne for Private Groups
Client comments on our Champagne Tours:
"I have just returned from a recent Champagne weekend with your firm and this is a brief message to say how much I enjoyed it. The whole thing was extremely convival and instructive; and what especially impressed me was the great number and range of wines we were able to sample in such a relatively short time.
I look forward to indulging in a similar jaunt in the future."
Ultimate Champagne
15 - 19 March 2010, 6 - 10 September 2010
Spring Champagne Weekend
20 - 22 March 2010
May Champagne Extra
1 - 3 May 2010
Aÿ Champagne Festival
2 - 4 July 2010
Autumn Champagne Extra
17 - 19 October 2010
