The Champagne Route celebrates

Vallée de l'Arc-en-Seine

Route du Champagne en fête, Champagne festival

It is irrefutable; celebration and Champagne go together like a horse and carriage! When you add in a wine route, you are left with an enticing road to discover the heart of the Côte des Bar region, between the villages of Bruxiere-sur Arce, Merrey-sur-Arce, Polisot, Polisy and Ville-sur-Arce. The idea behind the weekend is a simple one, and has been since its creation by wine-growers in 1995: to open wine-cellars and bottles from a different village in the region of Côte des Bar each year. A Champagne flute and a roadbook will be provided to you, giving access to the cellars and tastings in every participating domain. An extremely elegant way of helping tourists discover the terroir whilst enjoying its wines.

Getting there

Let’s go !

With our roadbooks in our pockets, our Champagne flutes in our cars, and our breathalyzers handy (yes, caution is key to safety), we are ready to go! Many activities await us… each village has plenty to offer so choices will have to be made, starting with which domains to visit, as there will inevitably be many participants! They will all be vying to come up with novel ideas to offer only the best, and tastings are, of course, on everyone’s agenda! But also artistic exhibitions, food and Champagne masterclasses, musical soirées, bicycles for hire…

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Various activities to discover

Let’s make our way to Buxières-Sur-Arce in the beautiful Arce Valley to meet a wood-turner or to learn about the ancestral use of the draught horse. Nor would it be too shabby to visit the town of Polisy, with a champagne bar installed on the banks of the Seine, pottery workshops for children, a Champagne capsule market, both pleasant and original… we have never met a capsule collector, doesn’t that sound nice?

Perhaps you will be tempted to fly over the vineyards in a small plane? At Ville-Sur-Arce a famous DJ will spend the entire weekend in a chosen domain, and in the village, street performers will meander through the streets accompanied by “Fanfare Débozârts”. Rumor has it Ville-Sur-Arce is also one of the most beautiful places in the Côte des Bar region where “a river runs through it”…!

Shall we begin ?

Well, tough choices will have to be made! What a conundrum to decide where to grab a bite to eat; there are too many amazing offers, with ready-made picnic baskets filled with local products, gourmet meals concocted by chefs, but also an oyster bar, barbecues, tapas, a musical dinner with a live singer, food-trucks, a pizza stand, hot-dogs… the ambiance is tiptop and everyone enjoys the homey spirit where encounters are rewarding. The winegrowers better get ready since they will be welcoming close to 25,000 – 40,000 guests in order to share their love of the region and their passion for Champagne, in all its celebratory glory! Shall we begin?