From Reims morning Champagne family growers
Two family-run wineries and six tastings in a morning, from the Reims station square at 9:20 am and back by 1:15 pm. Eight people at most; lunch is yours.
From $140 per person
Check AvailabilityWhen to Visit Reims Champagne: Harvest, House Calendars and Events
The champagne year sets your dates more than the weather does. The houses shorten their weeks in winter, the towers close, and September brings the harvest. Plan the month first, then the Reims Champagne booking.
The champagne year at a glance
Veuve Clicquot and Mumm keep the most detailed calendars, so they set the rhythm of your year. Here are their 2026 weeks, month by month, with what else is on.
| Month | Veuve Clicquot | Mumm | Also this month |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Closed | Thursday to Saturday from 15 January | The towers are closed |
| February | Closed | Thursday to Saturday | The towers reopen on 15 February |
| March | Closed | Thursday to Monday | Free tower climbs on the first Sunday |
| April | Tuesday to Sunday from 7 April | Thursday to Monday | Mercier opens every day from 6 April |
| May | Tuesday to Sunday; closed 1 May | Every day | A 17 h tower climb from 6 May |
| June | Tuesday to Sunday; every day from 29 June | Every day | The vines flower; the harvest follows about 90 days later |
| July | Every day | Every day | Soirée Blanche on the Avenue de Champagne, 14 July |
| August | Every day to 30 August | Every day | The longest opening weeks |
| September | Tuesday to Sunday | Every day | The harvest; Regalia on 18 and 19 September |
| October | Tuesday to Sunday | Every day to 31 October | Regalia on 10 October |
| November | Wednesday to Sunday from 4 November | Thursday to Monday | The towers close after 15 November |
| December | Wednesday to Sunday; closed 25 December | Thursday to Monday to 21 December | Habits de Lumière in Épernay, 11 to 13 December |
Temperatures and rain for each month are on Reims Champagne weather. The houses' prices and addresses are on champagne house tours in Reims.
September: harvest, dated village by village
The harvest starts about 90 days after the vines flower, and usually falls in September. There is no single start date. The Comité Champagne sets one for each village and each grape variety every year, and published the 2026 dates on 12 August.
Nearly 120,000 seasonal pickers work by hand, about four to a hectare, because the law requires whole bunches at the press. If you travel in September, you share the villages with them.
Veuve Clicquot's harvest lunch
On 19 September 2026, from noon to 3:30 pm, the house opens the park of its manor at Verzy for a country lunch with its cuvées. It costs EUR 132 for an adult and EUR 72 aged 3 to 17.
European Heritage Days at Mumm
Mumm runs a special tour for the European Heritage Days 2026 at EUR 19, against EUR 30 for its usual Cordon Rouge visit.
Coming for the harvest?
The grower tours go out to the villages where the picking happens, and the small vans fill first in September.
Winter: the houses shorten their weeks
From November to March, you choose from fewer days. Here is how the three big calendars shrink:
Veuve Clicquot
Wednesday to Sunday from 4 November 2026 to 3 January. Its visits were closed from 28 December 2025 to 7 April 2026.
Mumm
Thursday to Monday from 1 November to 21 December. From 15 January to 28 February, Thursday to Saturday only.
Mercier, in Épernay
Every day to 15 November, then Wednesday to Sunday from 18 November to 27 December.
The cathedral towers
Closed from 16 November to 14 February. The cathedral itself stays open every day.
A traveller in February found that the house their tour had named was still shut. So if you travel in winter, ask the operator which house is open on your date.
Spring and summer: the longest opening weeks
- You can visit Mumm any day from 1 May to 31 October.
- You can visit Veuve Clicquot any day from 29 June to 30 August.
- You can visit Mercier any day from 6 April to 15 November.
- You can climb the towers at 17 h from 6 May to 8 September.
- You can taste at Taittinger all year.
July and August give you the most choice. They also fill the small vans, so book ahead.
Mondays and Sundays
Mondays are the day to check. Veuve Clicquot opens on Mondays only from 29 June to 30 August. Mumm opens on Mondays from March to 21 December, and closes on them in January and February.
Sundays have their own catches:
- Until noon, visitors may use only the cathedral's narthex.
- The station information point is closed on Sundays, though the tours meet on the square outside it.
- Tower climbs run only in the afternoon.
Only free on a Monday?
A grower does not keep a house's calendar. The half days to family growers run from the station square through the week.
Events worth planning around
Regalia on the cathedral
18 and 19 September and 10 October 2026, at 22:45. A free show of about 10 minutes on the west front, with no booking.
Habits de Lumière, Épernay
11 to 13 December 2026. Light shows, champagne bars and fireworks on the Avenue de Champagne on the Friday and Saturday nights, and a parade of more than 400 old cars on the Sunday.
Soirée Blanche, Épernay
Every 14 July, on the Avenue de Champagne.
The harvest lunch at Verzy
19 September 2026, Veuve Clicquot's country lunch in the park of its manor, from EUR 132.
How far ahead to book
Book early for summer weekends and for September. The shared vans take eight people at most, and Ruinart's own visit takes 12, so the small slots go first.
- Cancelling: most tours refund in full up to 24 hours ahead. Two private days are non-refundable, so check the terms first.
- Booking alone: À La Française's shared tours need two people. A lone booking is moved or refunded.
- A named house: ask the operator before you pay if one house matters to you.
Timing questions
When is the champagne harvest?
Usually in September, about 90 days after the vines flower. The start dates are set each year for each village and each grape, and the 2026 dates were published on 12 August.
Can I visit Reims during the harvest?
Yes. The houses keep their autumn calendars and the tours run through September. Book early, because the harvest weeks fill first.
Which months are the champagne houses closed?
Veuve Clicquot's visits were closed from 28 December 2025 to 7 April 2026. Mumm stays open in winter but only Thursday to Saturday from mid-January to February. Check each house's own calendar for your dates.
Is Reims worth visiting in December?
Yes, for Habits de Lumière in Épernay on 11 to 13 December 2026. Veuve Clicquot opens Wednesday to Sunday and Mumm Thursday to Monday until 21 December.
When do the cathedral towers open?
From 15 February to 15 November, on booked guided climbs. A 17 h climb is added from 6 May to 8 September.
Where these facts come from
House calendars come from each house's own visit page, the harvest from champagne.fr, and the events from Reims Tourisme and the Épernay tourist office, as published for 2026.
- Veuve Clicquot: Visit us
- G.H. Mumm: Book a visit
- Mercier: Visit us
- Taittinger: Experiences
- Tours de la cathédrale de Reims: practical information
- Champagne.fr: Frequently asked questions
- Champagne.fr: Vendanges 2026, dates
- Reims Tourisme: Regalia on the cathedral
- Reims Tourisme: Veuve Clicquot harvest lunch
- Épernay Tourisme: Habits de Lumière
- Épernay Tourisme: the Avenue de Champagne
Grower visits at a fixed hour, morning or afternoon
Reims afternoon tour Champagne and family growers
Two family growers of an hour and a half each, and Hautvillers, from the Reims station square at 2:00 pm, back at 6:30 pm. Six glasses; eight people at most.
From $152 per person
Check Availability
From Reims/Epernay: Champagne half-day tour (small group)
Two independent growers and six tastings in an afternoon, starting from the Reims station at 1:30 pm or the Épernay tourist office at 2:00 pm.
From $183 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: see the month-by-month weather on Reims Champagne weather, choose a base on where to stay, or compare every tour on Reims Champagne Tours.