From Epernay Full day Electric bike Champagne and lunch
An electric bike from the Épernay tourist office at 9:35 am, about 30 km of vineyards, Hautvillers, four glasses and lunch at a family domaine.
From $228 per person
Check AvailabilityWhen to Visit Champagne France
The cellars keep 10 to 12 °C in every month, so the season changes what is open, not what you drink. The houses keep their own calendars, the vines turn from bare to gold, and the harvest moves each year. Check all three before your Champagne France booking.
The champagne year in one table
Each house's days come from its own 2026 calendar. The vines follow the usual cycle, and the towns' dates come from their own offices.
| Month | The houses | The vines | In the towns |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Veuve Clicquot shut; Mumm Thursday to Saturday from the 15th | Bare, pruned | Towers closed |
| February | Mumm Thursday to Saturday | Pruning | Towers reopen on the 15th |
| March | Mumm Thursday to Monday | Buds swell | — |
| April | Veuve Clicquot reopens on the 7th; Mercier daily from the 6th | Budburst | — |
| May | Mumm every day from the 1st | Leaves and shoots | Towers add a 17 h climb |
| June | Veuve Clicquot every day from the 29th | Flowering | — |
| July | Veuve Clicquot, Mumm, Mercier and Moët every day | Bunches form | — |
| August | Veuve Clicquot every day to the 30th | Harvest from 8 August in 2026 | Picking in the villages |
| September | Veuve Clicquot Tuesday to Sunday | After the harvest | — |
| October | Mumm every day to the 31st | Leaves turn gold | — |
| November | Veuve Clicquot Wednesday to Sunday from the 4th; Mercier to the 15th daily | Leaves fall | Towers close after the 15th |
| December | Mercier Wednesday to Sunday to the 27th; Mumm to the 21st | Dormant | Habits de Lumière, 11-13 December |
Three dates matter more than the rest. Veuve Clicquot's reopening in April, the harvest in August, and the tower closure in mid-November. Pick your week with them in mind.
Harvest 2026 opened in August
The Comité Champagne sets the first day of picking village by village, and grape by grape. For 2026 it opened picking between 8 and 22 August. Most Marne villages started between 12 and 17 August. Hautvillers opened on 15 August, Cumières on the 13th, and Aÿ, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Mutigny on the 14th. Épernay followed on 17 August.
That is early. champagne.fr says the harvest starts about 90 days after flowering, typically in September. So if you read "September harvest" in a guide, check the year.
Nearly 120,000 seasonal pickers pick by hand. The rules require whole bunches at the press, and a machine shakes the grapes off the stalks. If you want to see the picking, the Comité publishes each year's dates in the summer, so confirm them before you book.
Summer: every house open
From 29 June to 30 August, Veuve Clicquot opens every day, and so do Mumm, Mercier and Moët & Chandon. It is the one stretch when all four open on any weekday. The cathedral towers add a 17 h climb from 6 May to 8 September.
July and August are the warmest months, with average highs near 25 °C in the vines. The cellars stay at 10 to 12 °C, so the change of temperature on the stairs is sharp. Carry a layer.
Autumn after the picking
September and October are quieter than summer and still mild. Veuve Clicquot opens Tuesday to Sunday to 1 November, and Mumm opens every day to 31 October. The leaves turn gold in October, which suits the e-bike days and the jeep in the vines.
November is the turning point. Mercier opens every day to 15 November, the towers close after the 15th, and Veuve Clicquot drops to Wednesday to Sunday from the 4th.
Winter closures
- Veuve Clicquot: closed from 28 December 2025 to 6 April 2026. The next season runs Wednesday to Sunday to 3 January 2027.
- Mumm: Thursday to Monday from 1 November to 21 December; Thursday to Saturday from 15 January to 28 February.
- Mercier: Wednesday to Sunday from 18 November to 27 December.
- The towers: closed from 16 November to 14 February.
- The Palais du Tau: closed for works until 2027, in every season.
Moët & Chandon keeps no seasonal closure on its page, and Taittinger runs tastings all year. So a winter trip still works, if you build it round those two and the growers.
December and Habits de Lumière
Épernay holds Habits de Lumière on 11, 12 and 13 December 2026, its 26th edition. On the Friday and Saturday evenings, the Avenue de Champagne fills with video mapping, live shows, champagne bars and fireworks. On the Sunday, a parade of old vehicles runs through the town.
The events on the Avenue are free, and no ticket is needed. The cellar visits and the champagne bars in the houses' courtyards are paid, and you book the visits with each house. The full programme comes out in mid-November.
In Reims, the Christmas market ran from 26 November to 28 December in 2025, a minute's walk from Reims Centre station. Reims Tourisme had not published the 2026 dates when we checked, so confirm them before you book.
Which weekday to choose
Tuesday to Saturday is the safest window. Every big house opens, and the towers run their full timetable. Monday is the weak day: Veuve Clicquot is shut outside summer, and the towers close. Sunday works for the houses, but the Reims station information point is closed, and the cathedral keeps its nave for services until noon.
If you are joining a tour, the weekday matters less. The shared Reims champagne tours run most days from the station square, and champagne tours from Paris collect you in the city.
Found your week?
The shared days run most of the year from Reims, Épernay and Paris, and the fare holds the tastings whatever the house calendars say.
Questions about timing
What is the best month for a champagne tour?
May, June and September suit most people. Every big house is open, the afternoons are mild, and the vines are green. July and August are warmer and busier.
When is the champagne harvest in 2026?
The Comité Champagne opened picking between 8 and 22 August 2026, village by village. Most Marne villages started between 12 and 17 August. That is early: champagne.fr says harvest typically falls in September.
Is Champagne worth visiting in winter?
Yes, if you check the calendars. The cellars hold the same 10 to 12 °C all year, and Moët & Chandon opens every day. Veuve Clicquot and the cathedral towers close for part of the winter.
When is Habits de Lumière in Épernay?
On 11, 12 and 13 December 2026, for its 26th edition. The events on the Avenue de Champagne are free and need no ticket. Cellar visits and the champagne bars are paid.
Are champagne houses open on Mondays?
Some are. Moët & Chandon opens every day, and Mumm opens Mondays from March to 21 December. Veuve Clicquot is shut on Mondays except from 29 June to 30 August.
Where these facts come from
House calendars come from each house, the harvest from the Comité Champagne, and the events from Épernay and Reims.
- Veuve Clicquot: Visit us
- G.H. Mumm: Book a visit
- Mercier: Visit us
- Moët & Chandon: Visit us
- Taittinger: Experiences
- Comité Champagne: harvest opening dates 2026
- Champagne.fr: Frequently asked questions
- Tours de la cathédrale de Reims: practical information
- Palais du Tau: practical information
- Habits de Lumière: three days of celebration
- Reims Tourisme: Reims Christmas Market
- Météo-France: fiche climatologique, Mailly-CIVC, 1991-2020
Days out in the vineyards, for the mild weeks either side of summer
From Reims Full day Electric bike Champagne and lunch
An electric bike day from the Reims station tourist office at 9:00 am: an estate tour and lunch, Hautvillers and the vines of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.
From $228 per person
Check Availability
Jeep tour in the Champagne Vineyard with tasting
Two hours and a quarter by jeep through Chouilly, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, with a tasting in the vines, priced per jeep of up to three.
From $234 per group, up to 3
Check AvailabilityNext: see the temperatures on Champagne weather by month, choose a base on where to stay, or compare every tour on Champagne France Tours.