Ay-Champagne

Welcome to Ay-Champagne, perhaps the most historically significant village in the entire region. Long before the Avenue de Champagne was a paved street, the wines of Ay were the most sought-after in France, favored by King Henri…

Our first stop is the elegant Villa Bissinger, a nineteenth-century mansion that now serves as a major center for research and education in the region. This institution is dedicated to the study of champagne's culture, history,…

The Church of Saint-Brice is the spiritual anchor of Ay, a grand Gothic and Renaissance structure that reflects the village's immense wealth during the sixteenth century. As you enter, the sheer scale of the nave and the height…

As we walk through the narrow streets of the upper village, we find ourselves in the heart of the timber-framed heritage of Ay. This area feels like a step back in time, with houses featuring exposed wooden beams and plaster…

Located in a beautifully restored former pressing center of the Pommery house, Pressoria is a modern, interactive museum that takes you on a sensory journey through the world of champagne. This is the analytical heart of the…

Let us walk to the very edge of the village, where the houses meet the steep, south-facing slopes that make Ay a Grand Cru legend. The vineyards here are arranged in a massive natural amphitheater, which captures the sun from…

For our final stop, we head down toward the banks of the river Marne. Before the canal was built, this was the primary interface between Ay and the rest of the world. …

As we conclude our tour of Ay-Champagne, I hope you carry with you a sense of the village's royal and rugged heritage. Ay is a place where the weight of history is felt in every timber-framed house and every steep vineyard row. …