Champagne: the harvest in Reims and on the Montagne de Reims

Unlike other French wine regions, Champagne almost always harvests first: as early as late August or the very beginning of September, before most other wine regions have even started. This early timing is due to the need to pick grapes while still acidic, essential for the balance of sparkling wines.

An entirely manual harvest, an exception in France

Unlike most French vineyards, which today use mechanical harvesters, the Champagne appellation requires manual picking across its entire territory. This rule, unique in France, mobilises tens of thousands of grape pickers from all over Europe each year, turning the villages of the Montagne de Reims into veritable human hives for two to three weeks.

The Montagne de Reims, just minutes from the city centre

One of Reims's great advantages is its immediate proximity to the vineyard: unlike other major wine cities, it takes just a few minutes' drive to reach the listed slopes of the Montagne de Reims. The villages of Verzenay, with its famous lighthouse amid the vines, or Ambonnay and Bouzy, rank among the most spectacular vantage points for watching the harvest.

Champagne houses open their doors

During the harvest period, several major Champagne houses based in Reims offer themed tours that follow the grape's journey from vine to press, and then to the crayères where the wine undergoes its second fermentation in the bottle. It's a rare opportunity to understand the entire process, from freshly cut bunch to bubble.

A festive atmosphere in the wine villages

The end of the harvest traditionally gives rise to village festivals, with shared meals and sometimes music, celebrating the end of an often physically demanding harvest. These moments, more low-key than the grand house tours, offer an authentic glimpse of Champagne's winegrowing life, far from the glamour of prestigious labels.

Where to stay during the harvest period

Reims makes it easy to combine urban discovery with excursions into the vineyard, with a city centre just minutes by car from the first slopes. For a fuller immersion, several estates in the surrounding area offer accommodation right in the middle of the vines.

When to go

The harvest period varies each year depending on the weather, but generally falls between the last week of August and mid-September, making it the earliest harvest of all France's great wine regions.