Discover Cumières through the Marne, viticulture and Champagne production. The Jardin de Vignes de Cumières is located on Quai de la Marne, 51480 Cumières, and runs along the river. Eight scenes illustrate traditional stages of Champagne viticulture, from pruning the vines to tasting Champagne. Explanatory panels in the garden also describe how Champagne is made. The garden thus connects vineyard work with the processing of the product.

Garden and the Marne

The Bateau Champagne Vallée offers a different perspective on the river landscape: the boat runs cruises on the Marne. As a paddle steamer, it offers panoramic views of the Marne Valley. The garden and the boat focus on different things: the Jardin de Vignes highlights viticulture and production, while the cruise focuses on the Marne and views of the valley. This can help you decide whether, during your stay, you would rather explore the stages of Champagne viticulture or the river landscape.

Viticulture and local history

Vineyards cover 160 hectares, making viticulture the main land use in the municipality. Cumières produces Champagne as well as Cumières red wine, which is aged in oak barrels. Both Champagne and oak-aged red wine are therefore part of the local winemaking tradition.

The Musée du travail du Champagne et de la vigne displays tools more than a century old that tell the story of Champagne and vineyard work. The museum also offers guided tours. While the scenes in the Jardin de Vignes show stages of work from pruning to tasting, the museum focuses on historical tools and their connection to viticultural work. Cumières was also linked to Hautvillers for six centuries. This long-standing connection adds a historical perspective on the village to the insights into viticulture and production.

Tours and tastings

Champagne Gabriel Boutet offers tours for small groups. They explore the history of the house since the mid-1860s, its terroir and the production of Champagne. The offer also includes tasting workshops for beginners and introductory sessions, as well as Champagne pairings with food or chocolate. The tours focus on history, terroir and production; the tasting formats are designed to introduce visitors to Champagne and its pairings.

During the season, Champagne Gabriel Boutet also offers biodiversity discovery walks. A botanist accompanies the walks along the river or through the vineyards. These are distinct from the walking and cycling routes: signposting makes it easier to follow paths through the vineyards from Cumières to the forest. If you would like to discover Champagne by bus, consider the tour offered by L'Impériale de Marie-Antoinette.

Before your trip, it is worth checking the garden's access conditions, the operating arrangements for the cruise and bus tour, and the seasonal dates of the biodiversity walks.

Discover more destinations: Mutigny, Mardeuil, Congy, Passavant-en-Argonne, Chouilly, Cuis, Courcelles-Sapicourt, Bussy-Le-Château

For the broader travel overview: Marne.