Champagne Taittinger

Americans leaving this review. We traveled from Colorado, USA, to see the champagne house that we named our son after. I used to work in the wine industry and have drank hundreds of champagnes and have been on many wine tours. So the expectations were very high. We booked the "Comtes in an instant" tour for roughly $500 EU for my wife and my two sons, ages 12 and 14. First off, for that price, you should be treated and greeted with a glass of champagne upon entry to the tour. You begin by watching a movie about the area and house of Taittinger. We did enjoy that. The tour begins by going into the cellars with roughly 100 steps below ground. I forget our tour guides name, but she was pleasant and knowledgeable, but very austere with her personality. A little draw back there. After the cellar tour, you went back to the main level tasting room. Your kids get fancy grape juice(no food) and are told to sit quietly. Humpf... Next, you get 3 champagnes to taste, and the pours are tiny. You do get into the blends, the age info, etc. Honestly, it was a bit of a disappointment. If it were not for the experience of finally visiting my son's namesake, it would have been another overpriced tour. So I took matters into my hands by visiting their bar area and pegging the bartender with questions. They poured a few complimentary glasses for us after we showed them our son's passport. We enjoyed that extra attention. We then went to the gift store and spent about $250 on wine and gifts. If you're not infatuated with this winery like me, go directly to the bar area, order a plate of food, get cozy with the bartender, and try 4-5 different glasses of champagne. Then, pull up Wikipedia and learn about the history of this iconic winery.

We had a wonderful experience at Tattinger with degustation of three champagnes. Our guide Eloise (hope I wrote it correctly) was incredibly nice, welcoming, and knowledgeable. She answered all of my questions with great detail and shared so many interesting insights about the house and the champagnes! Looking forward to come back! Thank you!

Fantastic visit in August! I booked the Instant Rose tour and it was very informative. The tastings were great at the end of the tour, I purchased a couple of bottles in the gift shop, and they made it back in my luggage safely.

A Champagne House mirroring professionalism. Everything is well in order, the tours are well organized, the guide was speaking perfect english, with lots of knowledge about the house, history, cellars and good communication skills. The tasting was delightful. Two suggestions for improvement: some water during the tasting would be great and also you should be allowed to finish the tasting in the lounge. We had to leave a little bit early but were allowed to take one glass to the gift shop.

We did the cave visit with tasting of 2 champagnes. Very interesting insight into the production of champagne and the historical caves of Taittinger. We had only one day in Reims and this is the only tasting tour we did and we are happy that we chose this one.

Very traditional champagne tasting, with guided tour and 2 glasses to try at the end. Our guide was very knowledgeable and funny. Tour lasted 1 hour. Final tasting room a little underwhelming, not enough seats for guests. The cave is fun to walk around as its limestone and is UNESCO. The shop is pretty expensive and clearly they want a certain clientele unfortunately. We got there a little early and had a lovely 3 course meal at the newly open restaurant.

Just perfection! I cannot express enough how amazing our experience was here. Firstly we had to change our booking last minute due to sickness and they were so accommodating. We arrived at 10:00 and didn't leave until the evening, it was just fantastic! The staff were all amazing, from the entrance to the restaurant. The new restaurant was superb as well! Would highly recommend.

We took a day trip by train from Paris especially to visit Champagne Taittinger, so we were really looking forward to this tour. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing and uncomfortable. There were only two couples in the group — another English-speaking couple and us. At the start, the guide went straight to them and did not invite us to join. We had to walk over by ourselves. Throughout the tour, almost all explanations and interaction were directed only to them, and we felt largely ignored. We are Asian and not fluent in English or French. However, we are not unable to understand English — we simply don’t speak it very well. If the guide had spoken a little more slowly and used a few key words, we would have been able to follow. Instead, no effort was made to include us. What made it worse was that in the elevator and during the tasting, we noticed the guide and the other couple exchanging looks and quietly laughing after hearing our broken English. That made us feel embarrassed and disrespected. We truly love the Champagne, but the service during this visit made us feel excluded and looked down upon. This was not the welcoming experience we expected from such a well-known house.

Day two of our journey through Champaign country. We stopped at TAITTINGER for tasting. Blown away...the tour of the facility, excellent, the gift shop...yes, promised myself would not buy anything...but did. The presenter was nothing less than fantastic...explaining in detail the various Champaigns and the process. We were merged with another group to increase the numbers but were not loss in the crowd. When visiting France, Paris in particular take the time to visit..saunte...

A must visit when close to Paris, it is not a far drive or a train ride to Reims. It is advised to make reservations before you arrive and the tour is wonderful. The caves are vast and the history, and the craftsmanship of the riddling ismind-boggling,. It is nothing like you'll see in Napa Valley or in the western world. The caves here hold millions of bottles. The history of the family, the champagne house architecture and of course the champagne makes this a fun and cultural experience. Now, shipping back to the U.S. is allowed, just be prepared to pay $$$$.

Went to Champagne country and had the best tour tasting at Champagne Taittinger. Started with the tour there were about 15 people in our group. This is where they tell you the history of Champagne Taittinger how they started how there Champagne process works etc. We went down about 90 steps into a cellar that had clay walls with original markings from centuries back. It was very cool so I suggest if you do this tour/tasting please bring a jacket for this part of the tour. We were explained everything from the history, the process, the rotation of the bottles to the uncorking. I found it really facinating! Then came the tasting we were given the original and the rose' and I loved them both. The original had a very refreshing taste like I could drink that Champagne all day and not get tired of it. The rose' was a little more sweet, more of a celebration Champagne. I loved them both and will definately be purchasing more Taittinger Champagne. If you are ever in Paris visit Champagne country and take the Champagne Taittinger tour/tasting you will not be disappointed!

C'est magnifique! One of the finset maisons in all of france, and certainly in Reims. Refined, delicious, and friendly. If you only have time for 1, visit Taittinger.

We went to 2 different champagne caves when we visited Reims. Taittinger was by far our favorite tour over Veuve. The business seemed much more family run and less commercialized. We also learned more about champagne than the other tour. Our guide was very nice and it was nice to go in a small group tour of 5.

I am a bubbles nut, so hard to really pass up on one of the most prestigious brands in the world! Took a train to visit the town of Reims and quite honestly made the jaunt on foot to visit the winery. Obviously, the Champagne region is split between to major cities, but I opted for Reims, mostly due to wanting to visit two large Champagne houses. The experience involved at Taittinger is similar to most in the area, but you are really coming for the history and the mass cave system! The tour itself takes a little over an hour but has some great photo ops as well as history to take in including the famous UNESCO cave site. You end with a flight of choice (What you prepaid for) and some time to mingle with the guests and staff. When it comes to the production side, do not expect to see much of that as its not included, but other local champagne houses give you more insights if needed. The bubbles themselves are divine, so no complaints there, but please keep in mind this is not a US based tasting where you could ask for additional pours, they are quite strict about your flight, so keep that in mind. Great stop and would highly recommend!

Absolutely fabulous tasting event ... even given the caves are closed due to construction. When you have a great bottle of bubbles, frankly that's all you need!!

A truly great experience - A MOMENT AT THE TABLE OF THIBAUD IV, COUNT OF CHAMPAGNE... A unique offer from Tattinger (while their cellars are temporarily closed for work); different from all the other champagne houses... Set in an amazing historic building, Elia and Judith were our hosts and they were lovely - so engaging, they made the experience very special. My friends and I highly recommend booking a reservation and taking it all in. Located in the heart of Reims (20 rue de Tambour) you can then head out to explore the city. Close to the train station (only a 10 minute walk) if you are travelling to Reims for a day visit. It was great - just go...

We had an amazing time visiting the Taittinger cellars. Our tour guide was informative and knowledgeable. We loved learning about the chalk caves and the history of the cellar. The champagne was delicious and I would recommend visiting to anyone in the area!

I was there. And it was a beautiful establishment. I did the tour. Paid for that and to have the best of their tastings. I walked out with 4 expensive bottles in May. These were to be taking back to America. I should have gotten about 80 Euro back at duty free. They did the paper work wrong. Besides waisting my time to go to the duty free place; the expensive bottles of Champagne I will Never enjoy being cause a big commercial winery should know better. It you have a bad experience the wone does not taste as good. I emailed and they never even replied. Pretty bad because I study wine. I will never put a Taittinger champagne on any of my private jets.

I have never been a huge fan of champagne until I visited this place in France. My wife surprised me with a wine tour and I was on the fence about it but this place here blew me away. Going 20 meters underground and seeing how they age the champagne was unbelievable. Then the champagne tasting was amazing. The different flavors of champagne were all unique and great in their own way. I suggest you try this place when you get to France it's worth the money!!

Taittinger is a very large and well-known Champagne house, whose quality runs the gamut from the mediocre to the outstanding. The tours are very touristy, but they run several times a day, can be booked in person or online, and offer you a choice of tastings. At the end of the tour, they take you to a large reception hall for your tasting, which was kind of impersonal and rushed. We chose the L'instant Absolu tasting (41€ when we went, currently 45€), which includes the tour plus 3 glasses of Champagne, including their tête de cuvée, the Comtes de Champagne. I didn't care for the first two wines -- the dosage was a bit aggressive for me -- but the third, the Comtes, was sublime. 3 1/2 stars

Did the cave tour and tasting! Was very interesting and the guide was lovely! Tasting was yummy! I purchased a few champagne wine stoppers and brought them back to the states! they are the best thing I've ever bought! They keep carbonation for days and we're only 5 euros!!

After a twenty year hiatus, I finally made it back to Reims. Just like before, the highlight to any trip to the capital of France's champagne country is a tour of the cathedral and a stop to one of the local champagne houses. Taittinger is a worldwide brand, so if you like what you taste, you can buy some there or just about anywhere on Earth. The basic tour is €19, but for an upgrade (€30-40) you can sample a few. I recommend the rose or the vintage, but with champagne, it's all about what you like. Best thing about the tour was the house itself. We got an outstanding tour in English of the 3rd century Roman chalk mines converted into a champagne cellar/catacomb by 13th century monks. While the Abby itself was destroyed by the French Revolution, the cellars remain.

I was driving through Reims in early January, and almost all the champagne producers were closed for the season. Fortunately, Taittinger was open and doing tours, and I called right before their last tour of the day. They were very well organized and even had ample free parking in their private lot, a rarity in frustrating Reims. The tour was very educational, and I learned all about the process of making champagne, though the tour was just of their massive cave/cellar where they store the champagne, and you don't get to see any steps of producing the champagne. I'm taking away one star because I wasn't a huge fan of their champagne, but that could just be my personal preference. Also, it was quite expensive, but overall, it was a great experience, and our guide was fantastic. I would highly recommend calling ahead to get the latest information and schedule, because they have tours in different languages at different times. Also, dress warm, because it's chilly down there!

Nice tour and good wines, however, the choices in the tastings are limited to their mainstream wines only. Should be only 3 stars since there is no table service and no food pairings for purchase either. Actually, maybe just two stars but our tour guide was excellent. Also, do not expect any sample of the wines in your purchase as sampling wines is strictly not allowed.

Had a really great experience. We entered the lobby and was greeted by a friendly host. We waited for our tour to begin and then were brought to a room to watch a short video on the history of the area. Afterwards we were brought down into the caves where all the champagne is kept as it ages. Our guide gave us a great tour and explained how the champagne process works as well as facts about the caves. Very interesting and educational experience. At the end of the tour we got to taste some of the champagnes. It's also worth it to check out the area in Reims. We did a day trip from Paris and wanted to explore the little city. There's a cathedral there that is absolutely beautiful. Definitely a fun little day trip out of Paris!

Abbbbbsolutley NOT. I don't think I have been this angry about an experience in a very long time. I took the Taittinger tour and tasting in Napa and it was leaps and bounds better than this. From the beginning - We were staying in Paris for two days. I LOVE champagne (who doesn't right?) but no. When I say I love champagne I mean I collect champagne, I learn as much as I can about it, and it is a passion of mine. So when it came time for our two days in Paris I insisted we spend one of them in Reims and visit Taittinger - one of the oldest Champagne houses in the world. I was especially excited to visit because less than a month ago I visited the napa location. My dream was to take my husband to see and experience the history of champagne, how it is made, and to get a taste of Taittinger. What we got was a snooty intern who was extremely new and was not only not able to answer questions, but most of her answers were wrong. If you don't know the answer to a question, you can say - "I'm sorry, I don't know the answer let me get back to you on that." Many people on the tour were very knowledgeable on the subject of champagne and had visited other houses. She was boring, unclear, and contradictory. Not only was the history portion uninspiring, when she went over how champagne was made it was probably less than a minute or two and had I not known before I would have been completely dumbfounded. You do what, and then poof "its frozen and it pops out!" I stood blood boiling in disbelief and many people on the tour talked amongst themselves. I seriously wanted to take over the tour and lead it myself. And yes, I realize I am coming off harsh - but this is an experience! We paid for the train, took time out of our day, and then paid the $25pp to experience this. Yes, the caves were cool - that is where they get the extra star. I live in Bourbon country and have been on countless tours - this was BY FAR the worst alcohol tour I have ever been on. The vibe during the tour ruined our entire day after that and we decided just to hop on the train and book it back to Paris. It's extremely upsetting as Taittinger makes my favorite champagne (and still does). This was like wanting to meet Oprah, and then realizing she is not who you thought she was. Super bummed.

I went to Taittinger, Ruinart, and Lanson. Ruinart was the most high end out of all of them (and delicious champagne) while Lanson showed their entire production process (we walked through the rooms holding all the tanks, visited the vines, etc - stuff you will NEVER see at a big winery). Taittinger felt very rushed and commercialized by comparison. They start you off with a short film about the history of the winery (other places have the guide tell you the story). The actual tour felt very impersonal - a lot of cool bits and pieces but the guide really just didn't seem to care and was going through the motions. We would hurry from one site to another without really stopping to appreciate it. The vintage blanc de blanc was one of the most delicious ones I've ever had but overall the pours were also a bit smaller than most wineries in the area.

Amazing tour and amazing champagne! The tour starts with a video giving the history of Taittinger and the process of how they create their unique champagne. The winding staircase into the underground cellars can be sort of a challenge on the way back up after the tour, but you're met with a glass of champagne. Staff was so friendly and accommodating. A must among the champagne houses!

Drinks: 3/5 Service: 5/5 Cleanliness:4/5 Decor & Style: 5/5 Taking the TGV to here was pretty simple and highly recommended if you're traveling through France, especially if you stay in Paris since it is only about an hour away I believe. I'm not a sparking wine or Champagne lover, nor liker at all, however I love the history and scenery of this place. Underground wine/champagne caves is just cool to me! I probably won't come back however it is awesome to see this place one time and take some memories home, both in my camera and in my head!

An incredible experience doing the cave tour coupled with tasting at this beautiful champagne house. Deemed as a UNSECO Heritage Site, its a must went visiting Reims. Unfortunately we booked our tour for the day we landed and were delayed over 3 hrs. We called the Champagne House right away and they were able to move us to the earliest tour in the morning. We parked outside on the street, although we realized they have parking inside as well, and arrived on time. Our tour guide took us deep within the cellars and did a thorough job explaining the history of champagne, the traditions that make Taittinger unique and the process of making and selling champagne. At the end of the tour we were led to the tasting room where the sommelie explained the different types of tasting. I highly recommend touring the caves of Taittinger and definitely end with a tasting.

Charming experience visiting the oldest cellar of Taittinger. Informative tour throughout the premise complete with champagne tasting of course. Recommend!

great Champagne!!! The building is so rich in history, its very modern. Customer service felt I little cold

I chose Tattinger for a champagne tour as they were doing a monthly special for the tastings, where each tasting set was discounted! The tour was informative with a video, a tour of the cellar and the opportunity to try their champagne. They offer 3 different tasting sets with a chance to try their common brand and vintage/cuvee. Overall, thought it was a good tour to learn about the champagne bottling process. Tips : -bring a jacket as cellars do get cold -despite cellars being below ground, some of them have built in lifts for those who can't walk up and down the stairs

If you are in Reims, this HAS to be one of your Champagne visits. Taittinger is in the top tier of producers, and their Comtes de Champagne bottling one of the truly great Champagnes in the world. There is a large and welcoming reception room. Tours are available in English. There were probably 25 folks on ours. You start by going down into the chalk caves where the wines are stored, caves and tunnels which run under the entire city. To say that the caves are impressive is an understatement. They were created as the chalk rock was mined from the ground to be used as building materials. The Champagne producers made use of them later for storing their wines. Nice synergism, if you ask me. The tour guide gave a very good explanation of how Champagne is produced as we moved from one part of the caves/tunnels to another. She talked about the process of riddling, of the different sized bottles, about the use of crown caps, how the sediment is removed, about dosage, and so on. It was not superficial explanation, but neither was it pedantic. I think folks who are not Champagne buffs would learn a lot. The different storage areas and the sheer volume of wine being stored is pretty amazing to see. I got goosebumps more than once, and not just because it is cold down there. At the end of the tour, there is a tasting of their Reserve Champagne. And one finishes in their wine store, where all the different Taittinger Champagnes are available. There were bottlings I had never seen before. We walked down some steep stairs to the caves, but there are elevators, so don't be deterred if you think you can't visit here. I will have a great memory of this visit for a long, long time.

My understanding is that this is one of the better tours by the 'big houses'. That may be as we did not go to another big house Taittenger is my favorite 'every day' champagne but the tour was only competently executed and a bit rushed and impersonal. The cellars are impressive and visually arresting; quite photogenic. The staff gave a very informative lecture during the tour but you would think they could spare a euro or two on some effective graphic presentations of the champagne production process. For such a magnificent beverage that is surrounded in mystique, you come away with the sense of lost opportunity after a 'ho hum' tour. Tasting at the end was a generous pour and it was nice to taste the 'every day' version along side the Comte de Champagne

One of the classiest caves in Reims and it is still a family-owned institution. You can probably try "walking in" but as is the case for most places in Reims, book ahead to save yourself the grief of missing out. They also sell some champagnes at the store that are NOT available outside Reims. Worth the visit itself :-)

Awesome tour and tasting and I cool facility. Very sheek and the champagne is amazing here. Will definitely come back and is highly recommended.

If you just want a tasting without a tour, you'll be out of luck here. The only way to taste is to do the tour. The caves are very interesting, very tall by most standards and the ability to see the Roman quarry caves dig in the 4th century is fascinating. Overall a good tour & their champagnes are yummy.

Well if you like the bubbly this is for you. Taittinger staff was pleasant and knowledge. It was an easy train ride from Paris about 45 mins flying in the TGV. We had a great tasting and really enjoyed the the tour. It is three levels deep in a stone quarry originally dug by the Romans. Highly recommended for anyone interested in champagne.

I came here for a Champagne cave tour and was not disappointed. It was so interesting seeing all the caves and learning about the process. We just walked in so we took the tour in French (the English tour wasn't going to start until 40 mins later), I was studying French at the time so it was actually great practice for my comprehension. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, well spoken (and cute!) and took the time to answer all of our questions. It is a little chilly underground so remember to bring a jacket! The tasting at the end was sublime, it's definitely worth the little bit extra to get the additional glasses of different champagne! My biggest regret is not buying a bottle to take home. If I'm ever in Reims again, I'll be back and will definitely purchase a bottle (or two!)

The entrance to this champagne house is very unassuming. We almost thought that we were in the wrong spot. It has a really simple walled entrance. Once inside the decor is still very minimalist. It is definitely still a family run business. While you can drop in for a tour, I recommend booking ahead of time. They do only run tours at certain times and you cannot do a tasting without a tour. They will allow you to purchase bottles though. You can take those and enjoy them with a picnic in the park. I really enjoy Taittinger champagne. So delicious!

We had a lovely tour guided by Frankie. He's very knowledgeable and explained everything very clearly. This place is interesting because of its history, the first part of the cellar was part of an Abby in the 3rd century, then became a church, then destroyed in the wars and now became the winery. The tour took us down to the original construction.

Very knowledgeable staff and the tour was excellent. Taittinger does a lot for the community in Reims which I found to be very interesting. Top notch place. I will be going again.

The best of many tours I took in both Reims and Epernay. The guide was excellent, and the tour very complete. The tasting included three different champagnes. The facilities are quite nice, and the staff very welcoming. I would go back anytime.

Great tour for an excellent champagne. This cellars like many places in this area are old chalk mines. Great tour and great champagne.

Wow! I can't believe Taittinger has only been reviewed by 2 other people!!! Actually I wuz here a few years ago & I thought it might help the others get an idea of this place if I reviewed it. Maybe not many people know about wineries and champagne places in France??? Especially wen it's outside of Paris. My boyfriend (at the time) & I had 2 take a train 2 get here from Paris. The facility isn't your typical vineyard countryside atmosphere. Looked more like an industrial building. I 4got how much the admission fee wuz but I thought the tour (which wuz in English 2) wuz great!!! The tour guide took us all around the facility, talked about the history of Taittinger & we even went underground where the champagne cellar wuz built. Very interesting & at the end of the tour, we ended up in the lobby where they served champagne. The drink wuz fresh & bubbly!!! If u get a chance 2 spend the day in Reims, make this a part of your trip!