"Loved the session learning about the family history, the food, the champagne making process and delicious food."
Aÿ · Grand Cru · 3 Hours · 4.91★
Champagne Tasting with Lunch Pairing Tour — Aÿ Grand-Cru Salon
The best price-to-rating ratio on the site at 4.91★ / 399 reviews / $111. Book if you want the food side of Champagne — a 3-hour masterclass at a vigneron-owned salon in the village of Aÿ (one of the 17 grand-cru villages), 4 cuvées paired with regional charcuterie, chaource and brie de Meaux cheese, and saucisson.
From
$111
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.9 / 5 399+ Reviews
- 3 hours Duration
- 42 Tours 5 Maisons · 5 Formats
- English Guides Sommelier-Led
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What Makes the Champagne Lunch Pairing Tour Special
Grand-cru village setting, sommelier-led pairing, and a 3-hour pace that lets you actually eat — not just sip.
Highlights
- Learn tasting tips about the secrets of Champagne
- Engage in workshops that train your nose and palate
- Compare the tastes of 3 different champagnes
- Enjoy a lunch at a typical Champagne house with regional specialties
- Cellar visit at a family domain: Le Clos Corbier
What's Included
- Local guide
- Winery entry fees
- Winery tour
- 6 wine tastings
- Local snacks
- Lunch
How the Champagne Lunch Pairing Tour Works
Four steps from arrival in Aÿ to a 3-hour seated lunch masterclass on a grand-cru village square.
Arrive in Aÿ (Self-Transport)
Aÿ is 4 km from Épernay (10 min by taxi or local bus, 1h walk through vineyards). From Paris: TGV Paris Est → Reims (45 min) + 30 min car to Aÿ, OR Paris Est → Épernay InterCités (1h15) + 10 min taxi. The salon meeting point is sent the day before.
Welcome + Vineyard Context
Welcome pour at the salon (typically the vigneron's home or above the pressoir), brief on Aÿ's grand-cru status (100% Pinot Noir, one of 17 villages classified 100% on the échelle des crus), and the day's pairing structure.
4-Cuvée Tasting + Charcuterie Pairing
Seated 3-hour masterclass: 4 cuvées (typically non-vintage Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Rosé, and a vintage) paired with regional charcuterie, chaource (a Champagne-region soft cheese, AOC), brie de Meaux (the larger neighbour AOC), and saucisson sec. Sommelier explains each pairing — acidity, structure, terroir.
Optional Pressoir Visit + Departure
After the meal: an optional 20-min visit to the vigneron's pressoir and cellar (free for guests, vigneron-led). Departure by 4 PM. Most guests then walk back into Épernay through the vineyards or catch a taxi to the Aÿ-Champagne station.
Photo Gallery
Champagne Lunch Pairing — Through the Lens
The Aÿ village salon, the 4-flight tasting glass row, the chaource-and-brie-de-Meaux board, and the Pinot Noir vines that surround the village (Aÿ is 100% Pinot Noir grand cru).
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Lunch Pairing vs Paris Day Trip vs Bike Tour vs Cellar Visit
The food-led format compared to transport-anchored alternatives.
| Feature | BEST VALUE Aÿ Lunch Pairing | Paris Day Trip | Bike & Vineyard | Moët Cellar Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $111/per person | From $379/person | From $222/person | From $361/person |
| Duration | 3 hours | 10–11 hours | 7 hours | 6–7 hours |
| Transport Included | No — self to Aÿ | Yes — Paris coach | Yes — Reims meeting | Yes — Paris pickup |
| Tastings | 4 cuvées | 8 tastings | 3 tastings | 6 tastings |
| Food | 3-course pairing meal | Vigneron lunch | Picnic lunch | Vigneron lunch |
| Cellar Visit | No — salon only | Yes — Maison | Family domain only | Yes — Moët UNESCO |
| Best For | Food-led visitors | First-time visitors | Vineyard enthusiasts | Heritage-led visitors |
| Book Lunch Pairing | Browse Paris Day Trips | Browse Bike Tours | Browse Moët Tours |
More Lunch-Pairing Tour Options
12 lunch-inclusive tours available — from the lead 3-hour Aÿ masterclass to full-day Paris departures with vigneron lunch.
PARIS DAY 8 TASTINGSChampagne Day Trip from Paris with 8 Tastings & Lunch
Embark on a shared or private group tour to discover the Champagne region and enjoy an authentic French lunch. Visit a world-famous champagne house and a family-owned winery, with wine 8 tastings.
VEUVE+LUNCHReims: Veuve Clicquot and Family-Run Winery Day Tour & Lunch
Discover the city of Reims with a visit to the famous champagne house Veuve Clicquot. Savor wine tastings and go to a vineyard in Epernay to visit a family-run winery and enjoy a traditional lunch.
3 FAMILY+LUNCHFrom Reims: Champagne Day Trip to 3 Family Domains & Lunch
Taste the prestige sparkling wines of the Champagne region. Pass through the historic town of Reims, Dom Perignon's abbey in Hautvillers, and Avenue de Champagne in Épernay.
E-BIKE+LUNCHChampagne: E-Bike Champagne Day Tour with Tastings and Lunch
Enjoy a bike tour in the Champagne countryside, through the heart of the UNESCO-listed vineyards and valleys, from Reims, Epernay or Ay. Visit a family domain for Champagne tastings and lunch.
MOET+LUNCHReims: Moët & Chandon and Family-Run Winery Day Tour & Lunch
Discover Champagne: Moët & Chandon visit with 2 tastings, Avenue de Champagne, Champagne-paired lunch, Hautvillers, and an afternoon visit with three tastings at a family producer.
Guest Reviews
What Visitors Say
5/5
from 399 verified visitors
"Absolutely wonderful, very informative with a delicious meal and a variety of champagnes to taste and discover."
"Superb, we would do it again for the fun and pleasure."
"This was a mini master class in all of the key elements of the Champagne region, the grapes, the process of making Champagne. Emma (our Champagne Sensei) was awesome. Emma made us feel at home, made the group bond and we all had a great time. The tastings were generous, the food pairings were excellent and we had an awesome time. Emma answered all our questions. I highly recommend.🤩"
"Fabulous guide. Extremely knowledgeable. Beautiful lunch and a quiz too with a certificate at the end. Small group and great fun with beautiful weather too. Good to support smaller farmers."
Read all 399 verified reviews
See All ReviewsReady to Book Your Champagne Visit?
Pick the format that matches your trip — a grande Maison cellar tour, a Paris day trip, a small-group tasting, a private chauffeur-driven tour, or an e-bike vineyard ride. 42 tours compared with free cancellation. Starting from $111 per person.
Browse All Champagne ToursFAQ — Champagne Lunch Pairing Tour at Aÿ
Practical answers for the 3-hour vigneron lunch-pairing format.
Aÿ (pronounced 'ah-ee') is a village 4 km east of Épernay, on the right bank of the Marne river. One of the 17 grand-cru villages of Champagne — 100% Pinot Noir. By car: 10 min from Épernay. By foot: 1-hour walk through vineyards (signposted GR-655 trail). By taxi: ~€10–15 one way.
Option A: TGV Paris Est → Reims (45 min) + 30-min car/taxi to Aÿ. Option B: Direct InterCités Paris Est → Épernay (1h15–1h30) + 10-min taxi to Aÿ. Option C: Direct local train Paris Est → Aÿ-Champagne station (1h30, less frequent). The 3-hour tour starts at 12 PM or 6 PM, so plan arrival 30 min ahead.
Seated 3-hour masterclass at the vigneron's salon (typically the family home or above the pressoir). Welcome pour, then 4 cuvées paired with: charcuterie (saucisson sec, jambon de Reims), chaource and brie de Meaux cheese, regional bread, and a small dessert. Sommelier-led explanation of each pairing. For the wider AOC context behind what you taste, see our Champagne AOC quick guide; for tasting protocol and dress code, see our cellar tasting etiquette guide.
It is a substantial seated meal — not just nibbles. 4 cheese-and-charcuterie courses + bread + dessert + 4 wine pours is genuinely lunch-portion. You will not need a separate meal after. Some guests go for an after-walk through the Aÿ vineyards (free, 30-min loop).
The tour does not include transport (you get yourself to Aÿ), there is no Maison cellar visit, no driver, no full-day logistics. What it does include — 3 hours, 4 grand-cru cuvée pours, paired food, sommelier explanation, vigneron's tasting room — is genuinely premium. The 4.91★ / 399 review score reflects this value.
Adults only — French law sets the legal AOC tasting age at 18. Some vignerons accept children 12+ as observers (no tasting), but this is at the vigneron's discretion. The 3-hour seated format is also unsuited to younger children.
Yes — many guests do the lunch tour at 12 PM, then a Moët cellar visit in Épernay at 3 PM (10-min taxi). Book the Moët visit direct on moet.com for that timing. Some operators sell the combination as a single package — see the experience cards on this page.
Smart casual — no strict requirement, but jeans + sneakers reads as under-dressed. Most guests come in business casual (shirt + chinos / dress + cardigan). The salon setting is intimate; you're at the vigneron's table.
Yes — all listed operators provide English-fluent sommelier guides. The vigneron themselves may speak only French, but the sommelier translates. Tour groups are typically 50/50 international and French guests.
Maison cellar tour ($290–$764) = facade walk + descent into chalk cellars + riddling-rack demonstration + 3-cuvée tasting + brand storytelling. Lunch pairing ($111) = 3-hour seated meal + 4 wine pairings + sommelier explanation + grand-cru terroir context. Lunch pairing is food-led; cellar tour is heritage-led. Different products entirely.
Still have questions? Email us at info@epernaychampagne.tours