Champagne turns stranger—and better. This private Montagne de Reims outing pairs a winery visit and tasting of three champagnes with an oeno-olfactory workshop where you smell two custom fragrances tied to the wines and try to spot the shared aromas.

I especially like the mix of hands-on tasting and scent work, because it teaches your nose to name what your brain is already picking up. And the guide experience around Frederica feels built for real understanding, not just a script.

One thing to keep in mind: private transportation isn’t included, so the value of the day depends on whether you can use the pickup in Reims or you’ll get yourself there.

Key Highlights You’ll Feel During the Tour

• Vineyard walk in the Montagne de Reims: a real grounding in how vines, grapes, soil, and climate shape Champagne
• Tasting three champagnes as part of a guided flow, not random sampling
• Oeno-olfactory workshop: match wine aromas to two fragrances created in association with the wines
• Intimate timing that works well when you only have a short window in Reims
• Perfume sales on site, so you can bring the smell memory home

Champagne With Your Nose in Charge: The Big Idea

This tour is built around a simple twist: Champagne isn’t only a taste. It’s a full bouquet of aromas that your nose can learn to interpret. You start with a guided visit in the Champagne region around the Montagne de Reims, then taste three champagnes, and finally do a smell-focused workshop that connects wine character to perfume notes.

That pairing is the real reason this experience feels different from the usual Champagne circuit. Most tours show you how Champagne is made and pour a few glasses. Here, you get a structured way to compare smells across two worlds: wine and fragrance. You’re not just drinking. You’re training your attention.

The tour runs about 2 hours, starts at 2:00 pm, and is offered in English. It’s private, meaning only your group participates. That matters because scent work can get awkward in a crowd. With your own group, you can take a breath, smell carefully, and actually talk with the guide.

The Drive to the Countryside and the Vine-Walk Moment

Your afternoon begins with a drive out from Reims into the countryside. One review described it as a lovely trip to the area plus a stop in a small village setting. When your guide grew up in the region, you tend to get the story behind the scenery, not just the geography.

Then comes the walk among the vines. This is one of the parts I think is easiest to underestimate. A lot of people show up expecting the workshop to be the main event. But the vineyard explanation sets up everything you’ll smell later.

During the walk, the guide talks through how the vineyard is put together—how vines, grapes, soil, and climate affect the final character of Champagne. You’ll get a clearer picture of why some aromas show up more in one bottle than another. It’s the kind of talk that makes your tasting notes feel smarter, not like scribbles.

Practical tip: wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking among vines, and even if it’s not a long hike, you want stable footing so you can focus on the smell and not your footing.

Inside the Winery: Three Champagnes, One Clear Learning Path

After the vine walk, you go to a winery in the Montagne de Reims area for the core tasting portion. The guide introduces the wines and helps you notice what makes each one different. The tasting is for three champagnes, and the format is designed so you can compare them.

This is where the private nature helps. You get time for questions. One-on-one interaction came up in the feedback, where the group connected directly with a local producer who knows the whole process and cares about the product. That kind of access turns a tasting from passive to personal. It’s not just what you’re tasting, but why it tastes the way it does.

Expect the guide to steer your attention toward specific impressions. You might find yourself taking notes—some people end up writing down what they sense in each champagne, then using those clues later during the workshop. That’s a smart way to get more from the glass.

Also, you’re not stuck in a long day. The tour is shorter than many standard Champagne experiences. If you’re in Reims for a limited stay, this structure can be a lifesaver.

Practical tip: pace yourself. Alcoholic beverages are included, and the tasting goes in sequence. Sip slowly and keep water in mind so your nose is working well when you shift from taste to smell.

The Oeno-Olfactory Workshop: Finding Common Aromas Between Wine and Perfume

The main event is the oeno-olfactory workshop. This is where the tour earns its special name. You learn about perfumes that were created in association with the wines you’re tasting. Then you smell the two fragrances and compare their characteristics to what you noticed in the champagnes.

The goal is simple but kind of fun: try to find the common aromas between the wine world and the perfume world. You’re not chasing random smells. You’re looking for overlaps—notes that show up in both and make the connection feel logical instead of mystical.

What I like about this workshop approach is that it doesn’t treat scent as a vague sensation. It gives you a framework. The guide works with a perfumery to produce the fragrances and then compares wine impressions with perfume qualities. So when you smell something and think, I’ve met this note before, you have a way to test that feeling.

And because it’s private, you can slow down. Smell work rewards patience. If the group is too big, it turns into rushed sniffing. Here, you’re more likely to get the space to really notice differences in fragrance intensity, feel, and note character.

If you’re a first-timer in Champagne, this workshop can be a fast education. You learn what to pay attention to without needing a chemistry degree. If you’re a fragrance lover, it can feel like the tour is returning the favor: Champagne gives you a new set of scent references, and perfume gives you a new vocabulary for wine.

Buying Bottles of Perfume on Site: A Souvenir That Actually Makes Sense

One of the genuinely practical perks: you may purchase bottles of perfumes on site. That’s important because scent souvenirs often fail in two ways. Either they’re too generic, or they don’t connect to what you learned.

Here, the perfumes are tied to the champagnes in the tasting sequence. So buying a bottle can feel like taking notes that you can smell later. When you’re back home and you spray it on, you’ll likely remember the aroma matches you tried to make during the workshop.

That said, only you know how sensitive you are to strong scents. Fragrance can be intense, and perfume notes linger. If you’re unsure, you might want to smell carefully first, then decide.

Also consider travel logistics. A perfume bottle takes space and can be fragile. Plan how you’ll pack it so it doesn’t get crushed or leak.

Price and Value: What You’re Really Paying For

At $100.55 per person for about 2 hours, you’re paying for a guided, private experience that includes alcoholic beverages, plus the specialized workshop (the wine-to-perfume pairing is not a standard add-on). You’re also paying for an afternoon designed to teach you in a structured way.

If you’ve done typical tastings, you know the problem: you might try a few bottles, but you leave with a blurred memory. Here, the tour is built to create comparisons. Three champagnes plus two linked fragrances gives you multiple reference points, and you spend time learning how to connect them.

Pickup can add value too. The experience offers to pick you up at your hotel in Reims, and the provider mentions picking up all hotels in Reims. That reduces friction, especially when you’re only there for a short window.

One consideration: private transportation is not included. Pickup covers hotels in Reims, but if you’re staying outside that zone, you might need to arrange a way to meet the group. The tour can still be a strong deal, but only if you can handle getting there without stress.

Best Fit: Who Will Love This Tour in Reims

This is a great match if:

• You’re visiting Reims for a short stay and want a focused, afternoon-length experience
• You’re new to Champagne and want to understand the region quickly through a tasting plus guided explanations
• You like hands-on learning, especially scent-based activities
• You want a private format where your group can move at a calmer pace

It may be less ideal if you want a heavy historical tour with long stops and lots of walking with big crowds. This experience is about your senses, not a marathon of sightseeing. And if fragrance feels like a chore for you, the workshop could feel different than a traditional tasting.

Still, even skeptics often enjoy this because the workshop makes the smells feel practical. You’re given prompts and a comparison framework, so it doesn’t feel like guessing.

Should You Book This Private Champagne + Perfume Workshop?

If you want your Reims day to feel personal and different, this one is hard to beat. The most praised aspects are exactly what matter: the guide’s warm, expert hosting style (with Frederica bringing deep regional experience), the intimate flow, and the unusual workshop that connects wine aroma to perfume notes.

Book it if you’re curious about why Champagne smells the way it does, and you’d enjoy a structured challenge to identify shared aromas. It’s also a smart choice when time is tight. In about two hours, you get vineyard context, three tasting comparisons, and a scent workshop you can remember for weeks.

Skip it only if you know you want a standard Champagne tour with less focus on perfume and more on production details. Otherwise, this is the kind of outing that turns a glass of Champagne into a skill—how to notice, name, and compare aromas.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

It lasts about 2 hours.

Will I taste champagne during the experience?

Yes. You’ll taste three champagnes.

Is pickup available?

Pickup is offered, with pickup at hotels in Reims.

Is the tour private?

Yes. It’s a private tour/activity, and only your group will participate.

Is it available in English?

Yes, the tour is offered in English.

Can I buy perfume on site?

Yes, it’s possible to purchase bottles of perfumes on site.

What’s included in the price?

Alcoholic beverages are included.

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