Sally Hillman’s Tour de Champagne

A Guide to the Champagne Region

There are wines, and then there is champagne.

A region of chalky hillsides, cathedral cities and centuries-old cellars, Champagne is unlike any other winemaking landscape in the world. To visit is to understand, in the most immediate and unforgettable way, why this extraordinary wine commands such reverence.

For those who love Champagne, or are only just beginning to explore it, time in the region feels less like travel and more like immersion. It rewards curiosity, preparation, and a willingness to look beyond the obvious.

This guide reflects the philosophy that underpins all of Sally Hillman’s work: an approach shaped by storytelling, travel, entertaining and connection, where champagne is not only tasted, but understood in place.

The Heart of the Region – Grower Producers

The Grandes Marques have defined Champagne on the world stage, producing wines of remarkable consistency and scale. But the region’s true individuality is found in its grower-producers, the vignerons who work their own land and craft wines from grapes they have grown themselves.

These are families bound to small parcels of ancestral vineyard, working with deep respect for their terroir. Many farm sustainably or biodynamically, producing wines that speak distinctly of place, season and philosophy.

A grower champagne from the Côte des Blancs is not the same as one from the Montagne de Reims. The terroir shifts, the topography changes, and so too does the perspective of the person behind the wine.

To visit a grower is to step directly into that world: walking vineyard rows, descending into ancient chalk cellars, and tasting wines that could not exist anywhere else. It is an intimacy that even the most prestigious maison cannot replicate.

Planning Your Visit

When to go

Champagne is rewarding year-round, though harvest in September offers the most vivid expression of the region at work. Spring brings renewal in the vineyards, summer offers long evenings, and winter reveals a quieter, more elemental landscape of the vines.

Where to base yourself

Reims is the natural starting point for first-time visitors, with its Gothic cathedral and historic Champagne houses set above vast chalk cellars beneath the city.

Épernay, smaller and more intimate, places you along the Avenue de Champagne, a remarkable street lined with some of the most storied names in the region.

For those drawn to growers and villages, the Côte des Blancs offers a slower rhythm and proximity to some of the most compelling small producers.

Getting around

A private driver or car is essential to experience Champagne fully. Many growers welcome visitors by appointment, and advance booking is expected. French is often the language of the cellar, and even simple phrases are warmly received.

What to expect at a cellar visit

Visits are unhurried by nature. A tasting can unfold slowly, often extending into conversation, vineyard walks and tasting directly from barrel or tank.

You will hear the story of a vintage, a parcel, a family. You will taste wines in context. And you will quickly understand that Champagne is as much about listening as it is about tasting.

At the Table in Champagne

To understand Champagne is to understand its table. While the region is celebrated for its wines, its culinary culture is every bit as compelling, shaped by generations of tradition, exceptional local produce and the quiet influence of nearby Paris.

From Michelin-starred dining rooms in Reims and Épernay to family-run bistros and village restaurants, the most memorable meals are often the most unassuming. Artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, seasonal ingredients and regional specialities are served with the same sense of place that defines the wines themselves.

For Sally, these moments are an essential part of every visit. Sharing thoughtfully prepared food with grower champagne reveals the character of both in a way that no tasting alone can. It is a simple yet profound pleasure, one that shapes her approach to entertaining and inspires the experiences she creates long after returning home.

Lehmann Glassware

Bring the region home

The right glass changes everything. Sally Hillman stocks Australia’s most comprehensive range of Lehmann glassware – designed in Champagne and widely used by growers to preserve precision, texture and effervescence.

L’Atelier Membership

Continue the journey from home

L’Atelier is a membership for those who wish to continue exploring Champagne beyond the region itself. It is, in essence, a way of keeping Champagne present in the rhythm of everyday life.

Tour de Champagne - Private Visits by Arrangement

On occasion, Sally Hillman leads private, bespoke journeys through the Champagne region for small groups of six to eight guests, with access to grower-producers and houses not typically open to the public.

Each itinerary is shaped entirely around the group, their interests and their palate.

These experiences are not currently scheduled but are occasionally available by arrangement. If you have a group in mind, Sally would be delighted to hear from you.

Plan your visit with Sally’s book, Celebrating Champagne: A Wine For All Seasons

Before travelling, or upon return, Sally’s book ‘Celebrating Champagne‘ offers both a guide to the region and a seasonal companion to its wines, with over 40 French-inspired recipes and pairings that bring Champagne into everyday life.

Beautifully designed and deeply personal, it is a reflection of the philosophy that underpins Sally Hillman’s work: that champagne belongs not only in the glass, but at the table.