Champagne lovers take note - specialist wine tour operator Grape Escapes are pleased to take visitors on a true journey of discovery with their 'Source of the Sauce' Tour. The visitors are invited not only to discover the tastes and nuances of different champagnes but to truly embark upon a voyage of discovery back to the source of the world's most famous tipple. Prices start from just £423 per person.

Champagne has had a long and interesting history over the years. Legend has it that Benedictine Monk, Dom Perignon, first came across Champagne by accident when one of his barrels of fermented wine exploded at his Abbey in Hautvillers. Upon tasting this concoction he is thought to have proclaimed, 'Come quickly, I'm tasting stars!' 

Madame Clicquot reportedly took the process one step further. This inspirational lady devised the process of riddling using her kitchen table and it is thanks to her dedication that the champagne we drink today is clear and not cloudy. A trip to Champagne wouldn't be complete without a tour of the Ruinart caves, the oldest of the commercial estates in Champagne. Visitors are invited to discover their Maison in Reims to learn the production process from vine to bottle.

To truly discover the origin of Champagne, Grape Escapes recommend taking the Eurostar and enjoying a post-tour glass of Champagne at Searcy's in St Pancras to round off the trip. After all it has been said that the English first invented 'sparkling wine' when an eight page document was found called, "Some observations concerning the ordering of wine." This document (France's most denied secret) was presented on 17 December 1662 to the newly formed Royal Society by a man called Christopher Merret, who stated,

"... Our wine-coopers of recent times use vast quantities of sugar and molasses to all sorts of wines to make them drink brisk and sparkling." The English therefore invented Champagne and did it a whole six years before Dom Perignon set foot in Hautvillers, more than 30 years before the French made their first sparkling Champagne!

For further information, please visit www.grapeescapes.net
Tel: 08456 430860 
Email: info@grapeescapes.net

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For more information, please contact:
Representation Plus Edith Meyer / Anna Wolstenholme
Email: edith@representationplus.co.uk / anna@representationplus.co.uk 
Tel: 020 8877 4510/4511 
Support for press trips is available for selected publications, please e-mail edith@representationplus.co.uk 

Notes to Editors:
Grape Escapes is a specialist wine tour operator, offering wine tours to France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Grape Escapes offer a broad range of wine tasting tours and trips to vineyards in Ribera del Duero and Rioja in Spain, Tuscany in Italy, Porto in Portugal and the main French wine regions: Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, The Rhône and The Loire. Grape Escapes run numerous wine tasting trips for individuals, groups (social groups, hen weekends, wine clubs, car clubs, and birthday trips among others) as well as wine tasting trips for corporate clients. www.grapeescapes.net

 Travel Package:
• Please contact Grape Escapes to book places on 08456 430 860 or email at info@grapeescapes.net 
• Prices start from just £423 per person.
• Price includes: 2 nights' bed and breakfast in a 3* hotel and visits to three Champagne houses including Veuve Clicquot, Dom Perignon and Ruinart. Rail travel is also included between Reims and Epernay to visit Dom Perignon.
• A £25 per person early bird discount applies to booking confirmed and paid for over 60 days before travel. 
• The tour is available mid-week and weekends from May to September.
• Travel to and from Champagne is not included in the price of the tour, however Grape Escapes are happy to provide guests with more detailed information on travel to Champagne and supplements subject to their preferences.
• Grape Escapes also offers customised gift vouchers that can be redeemed in part or in full against any Grape Escapes tour and are valid for two years.