If you dream of discovering Champagne, there's no better time than during the grape harvest!
Every year, at the end of summer, the vineyard comes alive with a unique buzz of excitement. This is because the grapes are ripening and the intense work of harvesting must begin.
For an authentic and memorable experience, let yourself be guided by L’Impériale de Marie Antoinette, who will show you the Champagne region at its best during the grape harvest.
Let us organize your discovery of Champagne during the grape harvest. You are guaranteed a worry-free experience. Transportation, tours, (meals: please consult us): everything is taken care of so that you can fully enjoy every moment in complete safety and in a festive atmosphere.
And, of course, champagne tastings during these immersive cruises through the vineyards.
L’Impériale explains champagne harvesting during its outings.
The grape harvest is truly the highlight of the year for Champagne, when everything comes together and must be perfectly orchestrated to ensure promising harvests for future vintages.
On board the Impériale, an unusual bus, you will be enchanted by the terrace offering a 360° view of the vineyard.
All along the route, you will spot teams of grape pickers in the vineyards, the "splashes of color" of the cars. And on the sides of the roads, crates waiting to be filled.
All these crates are "marked" with the name of the champagne house that will press the grapes. The Imperial will make a stop so you can take a photo break.
Among other places, we will be visiting the vineyards of Moët & Chandon, near the famous village of Hautvillers!
And if the Imperial encounters a team of pickers, we will stop too!
The vineyard/outdoor experience during the harvest
The duration of the grape harvest in Champagne
The harvest will take place over a period of two to three weeks. It is an intense time for winegrowers: hard work, rigor, and precision! It is the culmination of a year's work!
The people involved in the grape harvest
The Champagne region will welcome more than 120,000 grape pickers to harvest the ripe grapes.
Each person has a specific role: picker, carrier, unloader, loader, forklift operator, and more. It is a combination of all these jobs that ensures a successful harvest.
The method
In Champagne, grapes are still harvested by hand, using techniques that have remained unchanged since the days of our great-grandparents (or even earlier).
Why? In order to produce white wines from at least some black grapes, the bunches must be picked with the utmost care and transported as quickly as possible to the pressing centers. This is to avoid prolonged contact between the juice and the skins, which would cause them to become discolored.
When is the harvest date?
Choosing the day to start the harvest. It will never be the same from one year to the next. This choice depends on finding the perfect moment when the balance between acidity and ripeness is just right. To ensure that the best day is chosen, Champagne has organized itself and created the MATU network, which stands for "maturation," a collective of volunteer winegrowers who closely monitor the evolution of the vines on 600 sample plots.
The quantities that will be harvested?
The quantities harvested are also strictly regulated: each year, the Champagne Committee and the I.N.A.O. set the authorized yield for harvesting, within the maximum yield limit set by the European Union. The aim is to prioritize quality over quantity.
Then the cut grapes: destination wine press
Then the cut grapes: destination wine press
Tour of a Pressing Center: At the Heart of Transformation
For this Champagne experience during the grape harvest: your tour will also include a visit to a pressing center, a key location in the champagne-making process.
After being harvested by hand, the grapes are quickly transported to these centers to be carefully pressed. During this visit to a pressing center, you will discover the different stages of pressing. And you will understand how this crucial phase influences the quality of the grape juice. After several years of patience and expertise, it will become the champagne we all know and love.
You will learn how each grape variety is pressed separately and how the first juices, called "cuvée," are the most prized.
This tour will allow you to go behind the scenes of champagne production and appreciate the complexity of this unique craft.
Would you like to deepen your knowledge?
See a previous article Find out more!
Watch a video on the official website of the campaign.
Would you like a tailor-made trip to Champagne during the grape harvest?
L’Impériale is at your service to personalize your stay according to your desires. Whether you are traveling as a couple, with friends, or in a group, each itinerary will be tailored to your expectations to offer you a customized experience.
Book Your Stay Harvest in Champagne during the grape harvest
Don't miss the opportunity to discover Champagne during the grape harvest, a vibrant period rich in tradition. Contact us today to plan your trip and let us give you an exceptional stay in the heart of this exceptional wine region.
