The Historic Province of Champagne

Champagne is in northeastern France. The name derives from the Latin meaning "plain." The county of Champagne was incorporated into France in 1314. It is a generally arid plateau that slopes toward Paris. Its strategic location has made it a battleground whenever France has been invaded from the east. The Falaise de l'Ile-de-France, a limestone ridge, borders Champagne on the west, separating it from the Ile-de-France, core of the Paris Basin. Grapes grown on the lower slopes of the Falaise are made into the famous sparkling wine in the miles of cellars carved out of the chalky soil under Reims and Epernay.

Le vin de Champagne, également appelé champagne, est un vin effervescent célèbre dans le monde entier et aujourd'hui associé au luxe et aux fêtes. Il tire son nom de la Champagne, une région du nord-est de la France.Les champagnes sont des vins souvent synonymes de fête ou de célébration, bénéficiant d'un prestige reconnu de par le monde.

Champagne was a region long before it was a sparkling wine. The region lies at a crossroads of northern Europe – the river valleys leading south to the Mediterranean and north to Paris, the English Channel and Western Germany – and thus has been the setting of many dramatic events in the history of the French nation.









For the most enjoyable cellar visits and champagne tasting, many visitors will prefer to visit the small town of Epernay, fifteen miles south of Reims. Lying in the heart of "champagne country", Epernay is home to many of the most famous champagne producers.


87 miles E of Paris, 16 mile S of Reim, Epernay rivals Reims as a center for champagne. Although it only has one-sixth Reims's population, Epernay produces nearly as much champagne. It boasts an estimated 200 miles of cellars and tunnels. These caves are vast vaults cut into the chalk rock on which the town is built. Represented in Epernay are such champagne companies as Moët et Chandon (the largest), Pol Roger, Mercier, and de Castellane.











Les visiteurs s'orientent pour la plupart vers la Champagne chargée d'histoire, ses vignobles et ses caves prestigieuses. Les sites et itinéraires se diversifient avec la découverte du patrimoine et de la gastronomie : Troyes et ses maisons anciennes, Châlons-en-Champagne et ses cours d'eau, Langres avec ses remparts, Épernay, les vallées de la Marne et de la Meuse, Sedan, Reims ou encore Colombey-les-Deux-Égliseset le Mémorial Charles de Gaulle.