Champagne
A Churchill champagne weekend in Épernay and Reims
Every birthday, Winston Churchill received a case of champagne from Épernay. It came from Odette Pol-Roger. This weekend follows the friendship, and the war that came before it.
12 November 20266 min read
Picolo Editorial
In short: Churchill and champagne
Churchill's champagne was Pol Roger, and the Épernay house has given his name to its prestige wine. A Churchill weekend is two nights in Épernay with a day in Reims, where Germany signed its surrender in 1945. Hôtel Margaux, a minute from the Avenue de Champagne, is our first choice.
Last checked: November 2026.
The friendship
Churchill met Odette Pol-Roger in Paris after the liberation, at a lunch given by the British Ambassador, Duff Cooper. He was nearly seventy and one of the most famous men alive. She had married into the champagne house. They stayed friends for the rest of his life.
From then on, Odette sent him a case on every birthday. Churchill called the house's Épernay address 'the most drinkable address in the world', and he named a racehorse after it. Pol Roger the horse won at Kempton Park in 1953.
When Churchill died in 1965, the bottles shipped to Britain were given a black border round the label. Later the house created Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. The first vintage was 1975, launched at Blenheim Palace, his birthplace, in 1984.
Friday: the Avenue de Champagne
Arrive in Épernay in the afternoon and walk the Avenue de Champagne end to end. It is about a kilometre long, with more than 110 kilometres of chalk cellars beneath the town. Behind Pol Roger's headquarters, one street now bears the name Rue Winston Churchill.
Pol Roger receives guests by invitation rather than on open tours. To go inside, write to the house well ahead. Our guide to Pol Roger explains how.
Saturday: the cellars
Spend Saturday underground. If Pol Roger has invited you, make that the morning. Otherwise Moët & Chandon is on the same street, with tours booked online. Two visits in a day is plenty.
Dine in Épernay that evening, and book a table, especially at weekends.
Sunday: Reims and 7 May 1945
The train to Reims takes about 35 minutes. In a school building near the station, General Eisenhower kept his headquarters in the spring of 1945. Here, in the early hours of 7 May, Germany signed its unconditional surrender. The room is kept as it was, maps still on the walls, and is now the Musée de la Reddition.
From the museum, walk to the cathedral where the kings of France were crowned for centuries. Have a long lunch before your train.
Getting there
Take the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord and walk about ten minutes to Gare de l'Est. The direct train to Épernay takes around an hour and a quarter. On Sunday the TGV from Reims gets you back to Paris in about 45 minutes, in good time for the Eurostar home. See our Eurostar to Champagne guide.
Where to stay
Hôtel Margaux
A former presbytery on Rue des Minimes, a minute from the Avenue de Champagne and four minutes from the station, with 27 rooms, a bar and a garden.
Best for arriving by train and walking to Pol Roger and the rest of the avenue.
La Villa Eugène
Once the Mercier family's villa, at number 84 on the Avenue de Champagne, with a garden pool, a hot tub, a sauna and a bar.
Best for couples who want to stay on the street Churchill spoke of.
La Caserne Chanzy
If you would rather spend the last night in Reims, La Caserne Chanzy faces the cathedral, with a spa, an indoor pool and two restaurants.
Best for taking Sunday slowly.
Our first choice for a Churchill weekend
Hôtel Margaux
Hôtel Margaux is a minute from the Avenue de Champagne, the street Churchill called the most drinkable address in the world. The former presbytery has 27 rooms, and the station is four minutes away, so you need neither car nor taxi all weekend. In the evening the stone-walled bar comes first, before dinner in town.
Frequently asked questions about Churchill and champagne
What champagne did Churchill drink?
Churchill's champagne of choice was Pol Roger from Épernay. He became friends with Odette Pol-Roger in Paris after the liberation, and she sent him a case every birthday. After his death in 1965, bottles for Britain carried a black-bordered label, and the house later created Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill in his memory.
Can you visit Pol Roger?
Pol Roger has no open tours and receives guests by invitation. Write to the house well ahead with your dates and what interests you. If there is no space, you can still walk the Avenue de Champagne and find Rue Winston Churchill. Our guide to Pol Roger explains how to ask for a visit.
What is Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill?
It is Pol Roger's prestige champagne, made in Churchill's memory. The first vintage was 1975, and it was launched at Blenheim Palace in 1984, in magnums. It is made only in good years. Picolo does not publish tasting notes, but the house tells the story of the wine on its own website.
What happened in Reims on 7 May 1945?
In the early hours of 7 May 1945, Germany signed its unconditional surrender at General Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims. The room is in a school building near the railway station and is now the Musée de la Reddition, with the wartime maps still on the walls. It makes a fitting Sunday morning before the journey home.
Where should you stay for a Churchill weekend in Champagne?
Stay in Épernay, near the Avenue de Champagne where Pol Roger is based. Hôtel Margaux is a minute from the avenue, and La Villa Eugène is on it. For a last night in Reims, La Caserne Chanzy faces the cathedral, about fifteen minutes' walk from the surrender museum.
Sources
The story of Churchill and Odette Pol-Roger, the racehorse and Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill comes from The Drinks Business and Pol Roger's own press archive. The surrender details come from the Musée de la Reddition in Reims, and train times from SNCF. Hotel details come from Hotels.com.
Santé from Épernay
Picolo Editorial