Get away to celebrate your wedding anniversary and surprise your partner. It’s a little-known fact that the Marne valley, just an hour from Paris and the big wineries in Reims and Epernay, is home to several wine-growers who together produce 10% of Champagne. This well-kept secret means you’ll be among the first to discover its unique oenological delights while strolling through wine villages and stocking up on Champagne to wow your friends back home.
This area near Château-Thierry in the department of Aisne shelters the vines or ‘galipes’– the term used by local Champagne growers for their Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. There are a multitude of exposures and microclimates here that explain the presence of the three grape varieties. Their blending creates a character that is not seen anywhere else.
Easy to discover by car, bicycle or on foot, this part of the Marne valley is lined with vineyards and crowned by forests. The little villages, from Charly-sur-Marne to Trélou-sur-Marne – all centred around part-Romanesque churches – are thriving thanks to the wine-growers. Here, far from the commercial powerhouses, you can really “live” the Champagne: listen, see, smell and taste, all your senses awakened and alive.
Visit Champagne cellars and spend the night in a castle: the perfect romantic gateway
The most important Champagne cellars are those of Maison Pannier in Château-Thierry itself. Set in stone quarries dating back to the 13th century, they give visitors the chance to witness the various stages of making this precious drink.
“A visit to our cellars is a real experience. We descend 30 metres underground to discover the history of the region, the product and the development of this emblematic beverage,” says Laure Renaud, the Maison’s oenotourism manager.
A sensory discovery awaits. Do you know how to appreciate the clarity of the colour? Can you recognise the bitter, the sweet, the mouth feel? Naturally, the tour ends with a tasting.
Fruity, herbal, floral, mineral, spicy, woody, balsamic? At the Fontaine des Sens, the Château-Thierry wine cellar and delicatessen, oenologists and sommeliers Stéphane and Jean-Charles await you amidst an array of bottles of Champagne selected for tasting workshops. Food and a talk are included. And yet another sommelier will accompany you during your ultra-romantic candlelit dinner at the prestigious Château de Fère.
In this stunning area, the independent winegrowers all come together when there is an occasion to commemorate or celebrate, such as the October festival or the special vintage for the centennial of 1914-18. Buying their wine means you leave with a little piece of history from their family line, their ‘terroir’, conveyed directly from producer to consumer
Take a stroll among the vines with a flute of Champagne in hand
Philippe Mallet in Trélou-sur-Marne, halfway between Epernay and Château-Thierry, is a lovely place for a stopover. This passionate wine-grower drives you to his vineyard for a demonstration of its activities and a Champagne-tasting mong the vines. He shares his different vintages with you, as well as the grape harvest and the work carried out in the cellar...
If you want to appreciate more of the local landscapes, he’ll also show you where to take a wonderful walk of 4km or 8km, using two newly created hiking trails in the heart of the vineyard. He will also share the best spots in the area for capturing the moment for the family photo album.
Champagne Philippe Mallet
5 route de Courcelles in Trélou-sur-Marne
+ 33 (0)3 23 70 34 09
Useful info
“A constellation of small family businesses. Visitors love the idea of discovering unique flavours at independent wineries.”
tourist information centre
2 place des États Unis,
Château-Thierry
+33 (0)3 23 83 51 14
Staying over
The 5-star Château de Fère hotel-restaurant: a romantic idyll worthy of a fairy tale. Its Champagne bar offers an array of surprising, delicately flavoured Champagnes. At both lunch and dinner, the seasonally inspired menu promises enchanting surprises from both gastronomic amd bistro menus. And there’s also a spa and a swimming pool.
Fère-en-Tardenois
At La Porte d’Arcy B&B, the vegetable garden is not just a pretty face: it produces a good portion of the ingredients used by the kitchen.
La Porte d’Arcy, Fère-en-Tardenois
How about spending the night in an unusual setting… Truly get away from it all in a romantic tree house at the Nid dans les Bruyères.
37 rue du Château,
Fère-en-Tardenois
… or even in a barrel in the heart of the vines?!
Trélou-sur-Marne
Eating out
Le Moulin Babet
8 rue du Moulin Babet, Mézy-Moulins
The Auberge le Relais with its high gastronomy
2 rue de Paris, Reuilly-Sauvigny
Having a drink
Chacun sa bière: a welcoming spot for epicurean delights
66 rue Carnot, Château-Thierry
L’Estaminet du château. Don’t miss the birds-of-prey show or the panoramic views of the birthplace of Jean de La Fontaine and the Marne Valley.
Allée Victor Gardeur,
Château-Thierry
Don't miss
La balade pétillante (‘sparkling walk’) in Charly-sur-Marne on the second Saturday in October – an 8km walk combined with food and accessible to all.
The Champagne and You festival in the grounds of the medieval castle of ChâteauThierry, the third weekend of October.
Wine tasting
Champagne Belin
30A Aulnois Essômes-sur-Marne
La Fontaine des Sens
27 rue Carnot, Château-Thierry
Champagne Pannier
23 rue Roger Catillon, Château-Thierry
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