Krug's house in Reims: the white-and-brick courtyard with its clock pediment

Tour · Reims

Krug: The $300 Question

Why $300?

Why does Krug cost 3x more? Oak fermentation. 10+ years aging. 120 parcels blended. Joseph Krug founded it in 1843 because he thought champagne could be better. He was right.

Visiting Krug

When to go

There is no visitor season at Krug, because the house does not receive the general public in any month. The working calendar is fixed, though. Barrels are watered from July in the ritual Krug calls the abreuvage, the juice ferments in September, racking the wine off its lees runs from December to February, and the tasting committee sits every morning for six months after the harvest.

Practical details

Krug does not publish visiting hours, tasting prices or a booking page, because there is nothing to book: the house's own contact page states that the house of Krug is not open to the general public. There are no walk-ins at 5 rue Coquebert, 51100 Reims. The one published channel is the contact form, staffed Monday to Friday, 10:00–18:00 Paris time (July 2026). To taste Krug, use the house's retailer locator or one of its Krug Ambassades.

Getting there

Maison Krug's address is 5 rue Coquebert, 51100 Reims — a working address, not a visitor entrance, since Krug is not open to the general public. Reims has two main stations: Gare de Reims in the city centre and Gare de Champagne-Ardenne TGV, five kilometres south-west, on the high-speed line to Paris. Two other Reims houses, Taittinger and Ruinart, stand in the same city.

About Krug

What to do there

4 things to do

The "Joseph Experience" (€350+, 2 hours) is not a tour - it's an immersion at Krug's private mansion (5 Rue Coquebert, Reims). Named for founder Joseph Krug (1843), you taste while learning WHY this champagne costs what it does - not marketing, but chemistry and philosophy. Book at krug.com 4+ weeks ahead or call +33 3 26 84 44 20. No walk-ins, ever. They'll email confirmation with dress code (smart casual minimum).
Backup: If sold out, try "Krug Lovers" experience (€200) - shorter but still includes cellar.

Log Memory
Only 4% of Champagne houses ferment in oak, and Krug is one of them. In the barrel room during your Joseph Experience, count the barrels - every single parcel ferments SEPARATELY in 205-liter oak barrels. Not for flavor, but for TEXTURE. The micro-oxygenation creates creaminess no steel tank can match. Ask to TOUCH a barrel - each is 20+ years old because they don't want new oak flavor. Ask: "How many individual parcels become one Grande Cuvée?" (Answer: 120+).
Backup: Any guide can explain the 4% statistic.

Log Memory
Krug keeps RESERVE wines from every vintage going back decades - 15,000+ bottles in their cellar library (included in Joseph Experience). When they blend Grande Cuvée, they draw from 10+ different YEARS. Your bottle might contain wine from 12 years ago. Stand among these reserves that will become Grande Cuvées in 5-10 years, and ask: "What's the oldest reserve wine used in current Grande Cuvée?" The answer changes each year.
Backup: Ask about the reserve wine philosophy even if library access isn't included.

Log Memory
Three philosophies in your final tasting: Grande Cuvée (multi-year blend - their signature), Vintage (single exceptional year), Clos du Mesnil (single vineyard - among world's most expensive champagnes). Taste slowly and ask your guide: "Which do YOU prefer and why?" They have strong opinions. Compare Grande Cuvée's complexity (120 parcels, 10+ years) to single-vineyard purity. The price difference is the €300 question answered.
Backup: Even standard experiences include Grande Cuvée tasting.

Log Memory

Sources

krug.com lvmh.com en.wikipedia.org · checked July 2026

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