Moët & Chandon: Napoleon's Cellar

Napoleon visited before every battle. He lost the one battle he skipped. Walk 28km of galleries where emperors walked. Drink what fueled conquests.

A Wine Memories experience · winememories.fi

Moët & Chandon: Napoleon's Cellar — Stock photograph — illustrative, not a picture of this location.

Country

🇫🇷 France

Duration

1.5 hours

Visiting Moët & Chandon

When to go

Moët & Chandon publishes daily opening at Épernay with no closed season, and the Épernay tourist office lists the house as open daily by appointment (July 2026). Tours depart regularly through the day between 09:30 and 17:00. Because places on each departure are limited, the binding constraint is which tour still has space rather than which month you pick.

Sources: moet.com epernay-tourisme.com

Practical details

Moët & Chandon is at 18 avenue de Champagne, 51200 Épernay. Cellar tours run 09:30–17:00 daily and the boutique stays open until 18:00 (July 2026). Eight tours are published: The Imperial Moment €48, On the Rocks €55, Signature €65, Grand Vintage €85, Moët Collection €190, Haute Œnologie €220, Terroir Treasures €235, À la volée €460. Walk-ins are possible but places are limited, so book through the house's online system. The cellars stay cool — bring a warm layer. A lift and a separate wheelchair entrance serve the galleries. The house publishes no minimum age and no booking lead time.

Source: moet.com

Getting there

A direct train from Paris Gare de l'Est reaches Épernay in 80 minutes, and Moët & Chandon is a five-minute walk from the station at 18 avenue de Champagne. By car the house is 90 minutes from Paris via the A4 motorway. Once on the avenue, the Champagne's Avenue of Bubbles route links the houses on foot, with more than 110 kilometres of cellars underneath and no car needed between stops.

Sources: moet.com epernay-tourisme.com

About Moët & Chandon

What to do there

4 things to do

Napoleon and Jean-Rémy Moët were friends from military school, and Napoleon visited these cellars (20 Avenue de Champagne, Épernay) before every major battle: Austerlitz, Jena, Wagram. The one battle he didn't visit before? Waterloo. The "Impérial" name is a friendship tribute. Book at moet.com with tours from €32 (Le Rendez-Vous) to €75 (Le Grand Vintage). Ask: "Can you show us where Napoleon stood?" — there's a specific spot.

BACKUP: Walk-in bar serves same champagne, less history.

Log Memory
Twenty-eight kilometers of tunnels stretch beneath the main estate — the largest cellar network in Champagne with over 100 million bottles aging. That's more champagne than most countries produce in a decade. Count gallery intersections in the underground galleries — they form a grid like a city. Ask: "How far could we walk if we went all the way?" (7 hours). Each gallery has a name; watch for plaques.

BACKUP: "L'Instant" tour goes into older sections.

Log Memory
Moët Impérial — named for Napoleon — is the world's most famous champagne with over 30 million bottles sold annually. This is what Napoleon drank before marching to victory. In the tasting room overlooking Avenue de Champagne, hold your glass to the light and ask: "Is this the same blend Napoleon drank?" (Evolved but spirit remains). Try Grand Vintage for exceptional years.

BACKUP: Outdoor terrace has better views if crowded.

Log Memory
You're standing on the "richest street in the world" directly in front of Moët on Avenue de Champagne. €1 billion above ground, €2 billion below — more wealth per square meter than Wall Street. After your tour, walk to the center of the avenue: left is Moët, right is Perrier-Jouët and Mercier, down are 110km tunnels with 200 million bottles. You're photographing $3 billion. UNESCO World Heritage status confirmed.

BACKUP: Best photos at sunrise when empty.

Log Memory

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Moët & Chandon: Napoleon's Cellar

Visiting Moët & Chandon

When to go

Practical details

Getting there

What to do there

Walk Napoleon's Path

Find the 28km of Tunnels

Taste the Imperial

Stand on the Richest Street

Been here?