Épernay

Epernay sits in the valley of the Marne, surrounded by vineyards, and serves as a sub-prefecture of the Marne department. The town's layout was shaped by the rapid growth of the wine trade, and after being repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries, Epernay became famous in the 18th century because of Champagne. Its main attraction, the Avenue de Champagne, is described by the Mission Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne as a regular venue for Champagne showcase events, and by Epernay's own tourist office as the address that extends the vineyard landscape enveloping what it calls the Champagne capital.

The first Champagne merchants set up shop in Reims, Epernay and Ay. In the late 18th century, as producers perfected Champagne production and paved the way for global distribution, and throughout the 19th century, the most important Champagne Houses established themselves on the avenue. Avenue de Champagne was particularly hard hit by bombing on the night of 19-20 July 1918; the Moet & Chandon buildings did not escape the destruction, and their ruins were demolished to make way for a new industrial complex built between 1923 and 1932 in an art deco style, using reinforced concrete and metal-frame construction.

On 4 July 2015, the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list under the "organically evolved living cultural landscapes" category, following unanimous recognition by the World Heritage Committee meeting in Bonn, Germany. Three distinct ensembles support the listing: the historic hillside vineyards around Mareuil-sur-Ay, Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims, and the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, with the 319 villages of the Champagne AOC production zone joining these three sites. The long, straight avenue extends for about 1.5 kilometres into the town's Place de la Republique, with several levels of chalk cellars and galleries spanning over 100 kilometres beneath it; across the wider town, roughly 110 kilometres of cellars have been dug into the chalk subsoil, creating what the Mission Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne describes as a hidden town beneath the town. Other landmarks along or near the avenue include the De Castellane advertising tower, the town hall, the Portail Saint-Martin gate, the Gabrielle-Dorziat theatre and the Museum of Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology. Every December the avenue hosts Les Habits de Lumiere, a light and food festival, when each House along the avenue decorates its courtyard and light shows are projected onto building facades.

Several Champagne Houses have their historic premises on or near the Avenue de Champagne. Moet & Chandon's headquarters at 20 avenue de Champagne was founded by Claude Moet in 1743; the current art deco building was constructed between 1923 and 1932 after the earlier structure was destroyed in 1918, and the House's cellars run to about 28 kilometres, descending 10 to 30 metres underground. Perrier-Jouet's property at 28 avenue de Champagne appears to be the oldest preserved building on the avenue, with its west wing predating 1778; the house passed through several owners, including Pierre Lochet-Duchainet, Jean-Louis Chanoine, Henri-Guillaume Piper and Marie Salmon, before Perrier-Jouet acquired it in 1927. Mercier's premises sit at 68 avenue de Champagne, at the top end of the street; Eugene Mercier founded the House in 1858 and had 18 kilometres of cellars dug 30 metres below ground between 1871 and 1877, opening them to the public in 1885. De Castellane, founded in 1880 as the Union champenoise and renamed in 1909, is based at 57 rue de Verdun in Epernay, near the avenue, where a 63-metre tower built in 1903-1904 and a 9-kilometre cellar network still stand. The Union des Maisons de Champagne also names Boizel, de Venoge, Vranken, Pol Roger and G.H. Martel among the historic Champagne House names associated with the avenue.

The current INAO cahier des charges for the Champagne AOC allows the appellation name to be completed with the mention "grand cru" for wine from grapes harvested in seventeen named communes of the Marne department: Ambonnay, Avize, Ay, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Bouzy, Chouilly, Cramant, Louvois, Mailly-Champagne, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Oiry, Puisieulx, Sillery, Tours-sur-Marne, Verzenay and Verzy. A separate, longer list of communes may add the mention "premier cru." Epernay's own commune does not appear on either list in the current cahier des charges.

Comite Champagne (champagne.fr): Champagne, a UNESCO World Heritage site (https://www.champagne.fr/en/visit-champagne/life-in-champagne/champagne-world-heritage); The Champagne region (https://www.champagne.fr/en/about-champagne/a-great-blended-wine/the-champagne-region); Champagne and its history (https://www.champagne.fr/en/about-champagne/champagne-and-its-history); Tourism in Champagne (https://www.champagne.fr/en/visit-champagne/life-in-champagne/tourism-in-champagne). Union des Maisons de Champagne (maisons-champagne.com): Avenue de Champagne - Epernay (https://maisons-champagne.com/en/houses/heritage/epernay-and-surrounding-area/article/avenue-de-champagne-epernay). Mission Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne (champagne-patrimoinemondial.org): Rooted in the region's history - Moet & Chandon (https://www.champagne-patrimoinemondial.org/en/decouvrir/rooted-regions-history); Epernay - the town built around the Avenue de Champagne (https://www.champagne-patrimoinemondial.org/en/decouvrir/epernay-town-built-around-avenue-de-champagne); Avenue de Champagne in Epernay (https://www.champagne-patrimoinemondial.org/en/decouvrir/avenue-de-champagne-epernay); A private residence, production and sales premises... plus an advertising tower - De Castellane (https://www.champagne-patrimoinemondial.org/en/decouvrir/private-residence-production-and-sales-premises-plus-advertising-tower); The oldest Champagne House on Avenue de Champagne - Perrier-Jouet (https://www.champagne-patrimoinemondial.org/en/decouvrir/oldest-champagne-house-avenue-de-champagne); The work of a visionary - Mercier (https://www.champagne-patrimoinemondial.org/en/decouvrir/work-visionary). INAO: Cahier des charges de l'AOC Champagne (https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/3-CDC-Champagne-PNO.pdf). Epernay Tourist Office (epernay-tourisme.com): Discover the famous avenue de Champagne (https://www.epernay-tourisme.com/en/discover/avenue-de-champagne/). Last verified 2026-09-17.