At the end of the summer of 2019 we visited Pommery, one of the most important and iconic champagne houses from Reims. It´s vast domain (50 hectares) is composed of various gorgeous buildings in the Elizabethan neo-Gothic style, 25 hectares of walled vineyard (Clos Pompadour) and 18km of chalk caves at 30m underground (Les Crayères). Madame Pommery launched in July 1868 the conversion of ancient Roman chalk quarries into wine cellars. It was the biggest construction project in Reims until then and it was finished in only 2 years, even if the official inauguration had to wait until 1878. Surnamed as “the underground cathedral”, the cellars played an important role during the difficult years of The Great War(1914-1918). Together with other famous cellars in Reims (from Veuve Clicquot, Louis Roederer, Taittinger, Krug, Martel etc), these cellars were used as refuge for many Remois (citizens of Reims) and also for the most important institutions (city hall, military headquarters, hospitals, schools, churches etc). Writings on the walls from those years are witnesses of the terrible moments of the ferocious war that led Reims to total destruction. Nowadays, the Pommery cellars are divided in two sections: one part is dedicated to public visits and it hosts rotating modern art exhibitions (“The Pommery Experience”), and a bigger part that is for private use and which hosts, in perfect conditions (constant 10ºC), around 20 millions bottles of champagne (the oldest one from 1874). Please enjoy our photo documentary from 2019 exhibition called Esprit Souterrain (“Underground Spirit”).
Champagne LoungeBar 