Champagne Wine Tour
Step into the effervescent world of Champagne, where history and tradition sparkle in every glass.
Tour Overview
Explore the renowned vineyards and historic cellars of Champagne and indulge in the magic of France's most iconic bubbly.
Champagne: the name alone conjures up visions of a prestigious and celebratory drink. It is a sparkling wine of sophistication, offering many styles and nuances to those who examine a bit closer. A cultural history, the art of blending and a distinctive terroir are only a few of the variables that give way to a wide range of champagne styles that we will explore together.
The region has is undergoing a massive transformation with younger generations at the helm, opening its arms to the world and slowly transitioning towards sustainability. Come see where tradition and innovation collide.
Travel with your fellow Champagne-obessed students and a Master of Wine to the Champagne region to unlock the secrets of this world-famous bubbly. This trip is your backstage pass to the region and its sparkling wine so special, while enjoying top-rated restaurants and the gorgeous rolling scenery.
What's Included
Join Essi Avellan MW, one of the world's leading experts in Champagne as she guides you through the region.
Instruction by Essi Avellan, Master of Wine specialized in Champagne and sparkling wines
Professional-level tours and tastings at top-quality wine producers
Services of a tour manager, providing customer service and logistics support
4 nights at 4-star Hotel de la Paix in the center of Reims, double occupancy
4 buffet breakfasts
4 gourmet lunches and 2 elegant dinners with very special wines and Champagnes, with one at a Michelin 1-star restaurant
Deluxe, air-conditioned motor coach transportation with bottled water on-board
Enrollement in Champagne Masters Program online course, including study manual, online webinars and online exam
Price per-person, double occupancy. Download the brochure to get detailed pricing.
Itinerary & Pricing
Meet Your Expert Guides
Essi Avellan MW
Your Wine Tour Instructor
- Author of Essi Avellan’s Champagne
- Co-author of Christie’s World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wines
- Master of Wine specialized in Champagne and sparkling wines
- Judge at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships
- Organizer of the Grand Champagne Helsinki event
Mary Kirk
Your Wine Tour Manager
Assisting the instructor and making sure logistics run smoothly and that your needs are answered will be Mary Kirk. Mary has been leading wine tours in France for over 15 years and has been tour manager for WSG study trips for over 5 years. She is also a DipWSET, FWS and certified French Sommelier-Conseil.
Mary also teaches Sommellerie at Ferrandi Gastronomic school of Paris, and has also taught FWS in Paris. Her other activities include leading wine events and consulting in the French wine sector. She may be a familiar face to some of you because until recently she also took care of WSG members as our Community and Membership Manager. She now devotes herself solely to being the Wine Tours Manager at WSG.
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What Makes WSG Educational Tours Unique?
Top wine industry professionals and regional experts as instructors
Service of tour manager offering customer service and logistics support during the trip
Professional-level visits with educational objectives
Tastings of dozens of top-quality wines during estate visit and included meals
Opportunity to meet the producers and local specialists
Access to wine estates often closed to the public
Join a community of fellow wine professionals and serious enthusiasts
Frequently Asked Questions
- You’ll learn so much more than you would on your own! During WSG tours, our internationally renowned instructors are always with you; providing fascinating information, answering questions, and clarifying facts and figures to ensure understanding of the nuances and subtleties of each region and its wine styles.
- Camaraderie! And the experience of exploring new wine regions with other like-minded individuals who are just as passionate and obsessive about great wine as you are!
- Access to amazing wine tastings and estates you would not be able to visit on your own. With personal and long-standing relationships in each of the regions we operate, WSG has some of the highest-level contacts in the industry. As a WSG study abroad participant, you will have the opportunity to taste incredible wines at each estate and will be welcomed as an honored guest everywhere you go.
- All our WSG instructors have lived or worked in France, Italy, Spain, or other countries in which we operate, for many years. This has allowed them to cultivate extensive experience and contacts within the region. You’ll get expert information about the wine business, and an insider’s take on local culture.
- Avoid taking chances on hotels or restaurants you don’t know. With more than a decade of experience, our guides use first-hand knowledge to select the best hotels and restaurants for your enjoyment.
- Make the most of your travel time! Our itineraries minimize driving to ensure you receive a thorough overview of the region, taking in the breathtaking landscapes and amazing wine culture of each respective region.
- Avoid driving, navigating or directions. Feel free to relax and enjoy wine your meals in the comfort of a safe and carefully curated learning environment.
- Your WSG instructor and Tour Manager will translate for the group at all times, eliminating communication or language barriers, as many winemakers in France, Italy and Spain may have limited English proficiency.
Preparing for the trip
Please ask the instructor if there is enough time at the end of the visit for you to make your purchase without impeding the progress and timing of the trip. Not all estates sell wine on-site. In Bordeaux, for example, very few of the Classified Growth Châteaux actually sell wine at the château (they sell exclusively through wine merchants). It is rare that estates offer international shipping.
If you would like to purchase wine, we recommend that you ask your government’s customs office for their rules and regulations if you intend to bring wine back into your country, or have wine shipped to you.
You always have the option of bringing wine home with you in your checked luggage. A specialized wine suitcase is perfect for this. Depending on your home country, this amount will vary. You may have to pay taxes or duties on your wine at customs. Please check with your local authorities for further information.
TRANSPORTATION, FOOD & LODGING
We choose 4-star hotels to ensure a high level of comfort, including en-suite bathrooms, WiFi and air conditioning. It’s very important for the hotels to be well situated in the region, to keep driving time and distance to a minimum. We want to make sure you are as close as possible to the vineyards and other local sites of interest. The hotels we choose also must be large enough to accommodate groups.
We thoroughly check each hotel before including it in a WSG tour or program. In wine regions that are large and spread out, you may change hotels once or twice during a week-long stay (to keep driving times to a minimum each day). In other regions, there may be only one centrally located hotel.
Organizers & Instructors
WSG trip instructors are among the most renowned and respected wine professionals in the wine business. They are also professional wine educators, highly knowledgeable and absolutely passionate about the region and wine styles they represent.
You will see a full biography of the instructor(s) for each program on the corresponding page, so you will know exactly who you'll be touring and learning with. Most are native English speakers (American, British or Australian), and all other instructors speak English fluently. Our instructors have that a special combination of high-level wine expertise, personal warmth, friendliness, and excellent leadership skills. They'll accompany you every day, throughout the trip program, and will be able to answer any questions you may have about the wines of the region you’ll be visiting (and about wine in general).
Booking a trip
Yes, we strongly encourage you to purchase a very comprehensive travel insurance package once you have paid your deposit. Note that many plans require you to purchase insurance very soon after your deposit payment (some require it within 14 days).
There are any number of things that can occur and cause cancellation or interruption of your travel package. Travel insurance can help cover the costs you incur as a result. You will find many travel insurer providers websites available and can easily compare insurance policies online. For example, Insure My Trip: https://www.insuremytrip.com
Be sure to read insurance policies very carefully before purchasing. Include your airfare, train fare, and any other expenses you may incur in addition to the price of the study program itself. We highly recommend purchasing a “cancel for any reason” policy, which offers the best and most reliable coverage. Travel experts say, “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel." Please don’t skip this important step!
Have a different question? Feel free to contact us.
See Our Other Destinations
Our industry-recognized educational wine tours offer intensive, professional-level education within wine regions of France, Italy, Spain and beyond. Led by prominent wine professionals and journalists, our itineraries and curricula provide a backstage pass to the most celebrated wine regions.