Mercier, Champagne house on Avenue de Champagne, Épernay, France
Mercier is a champagne house located on Avenue de Champagne in Épernay. The cellars form an extensive network of tunnels carved into chalk bedrock that extends for many kilometers underground.
Eugène Mercier founded this champagne house in 1858 and pioneered new production methods. He was among the first to market champagne to ordinary consumers rather than exclusively to wealthy elites.
The entrance hall displays a giant wine barrel from 1889, measuring 5 meters high and requiring 24 oxen to transport it to the Paris World Exhibition.
Visitors travel through underground galleries aboard a small automated train and then participate in a tasting session. The tunnels maintain steady conditions year-round, making visits comfortable regardless of the season.
A massive oak barrel from 1889 required 24 oxen to be transported to the Paris World Exhibition and still stands in the cellars today. The tunnel ceilings were deliberately excavated tall enough to accommodate this enormous vessel.
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