Paleontological Tour

La Cave aux coquillages – an unusual cellar

Here, we share with you our good plans to discover Epernay and its surroundings, the unmissable visits in Champagne and our favourites, including La Cave aux Coquillages. There is no shortage of things to do in France’s Champagne region. There are also unusual places that you should not miss under any circumstances, making you experience a magical interlude.

Today, we take you to one of these places where you can enjoy an unusual and unique experience, an atypical moment in the heart of Champagne.

Do you want to discover unique places in Champagne? We take you with us to the heart of the most impressive wine cellar in the Champagne region: La Cave aux coquillages.

In this timeless wine cellar, you will encounter history and discover a world halfway between oenology and geology.

Are you ready for an unusual and unique experience? Let’s push open the doors of La Cave aux Coquillages

La Cave aux Coquillages: a unique experience

Suppose the arrival on the Champagne Legrand-Latour estate gives the impression of going to a visit of any wine cellar. In that case, it is instead a question of diving into underground galleries for an exceptional moment.

For the guided tour of this wine cellar immersion, we had the pleasure of being accompanied by Patrice Legrand, the superb guide of the place. In addition to being professional and very friendly, he is a real enthusiast and expert on fossils.

It all starts with a short introductory course during which we learn some of the essentials of geology. But Patrice especially takes the time to tell us which period of history we are going to discover since we will jump back 45 million years ago.

The aim is to project ourselves back to a time when the Champagne region had no vines and looked like a huge tropical beach (yes, we too find that view hard to imagine).

Much more than a simple guide, Patrice is a real enthusiast who makes all the difference because his story is captivating and interesting from beginning to end.

And if this place is incredible, his work is just as unusual because he spends almost all his time in the underground cave. His goal? To continue digging new galleries to discover other species of shells.

And after the excavations, Patrice returns to his laboratory to clean the treasures he then displays for the public to view. Patrice also offers a view during workshops.

What impresses is the quantity of shells on the walls of the cellar. You just must look up to see them. The spectacle offered by small and large shells is incredible and out of time.

The end of the journey is completed by the discovery of a part of the cellars where the bottles of champagne of the vineyard are stored before the fleury, joining your flutes.

And to finish on a high note, the visit is followed by a wine tasting of Legrand-Latour champagne or a glass of orange juice for children and those who do not drink alcohol. After the visit and tasting of Legrand-Latour bubbles, one better understands the appreciable minerality that emerges from the champagnes proposed.

Before leaving, you must visit the small souvenir shop, where you will find geological kits for children.

Info: remember to take a jumper with you, even in the summer, because the visit takes place in dug cellars where the temperature does not exceed 11 degrees, so it’s freezing!

Allow about 1h30 for this unique cellar visit.

For the more curious, it is possible to book a paleontological workshop, with a programme that makes you dream:

• Archaeological excavation
• Removal of shells
• Restoration and study of fossils

To make your mouth water and make you want to book your visit to La Cave aux coquillages