Veuve Clicquot Cellars

Veuve Clicquot is one of the great champagne houses and its cellars beneath Reims are among the most atmospheric in the city. The tours wind through the crayères — the ancient chalk galleries that were quarried by the Romans and later adopted by the champagne industry to provide the constant cool temperatures that champagne ageing requires. Veuve Clicquot's cellars descend to about 30 metres below street level.

The house produces around 20 million bottles a year, and the flagship Yellow Label is one of the most recognised champagnes in the world. Tours include a tasting and are bookable directly on the house's website. The cellar experience is one of the most polished in Reims — more theatrical than some, but thoroughly enjoyable.

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A story
Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, who became "Veuve Clicquot" (the Clicquot widow) when her husband died in 1805, was 27 years old when she took over the house. She went on to invent the riddling rack — the A-frame used to clarify champagne — and produced the first vintage rosé champagne, blending red and white wines. She ran the house for fifty years and is largely responsible for the idea of champagne as a luxury product.

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