Caves Bailly Lapierre

What you will see

The one-hour visit begins with a 45-minute guided walk through the galleries, where millions of bottles rest in the half-light. Along the way you see contemporary sculptures carved into the rock and learn the different stages of making Crémant. The visit ends with a tasting of two crémants, and you keep the glass. Audio guides are available in English, German and Dutch.

History

Stone has been quarried at Bailly since the Middle Ages. Pontigny Abbey became owner of a quarry here in 1186, and according to the cellars, stone from Bailly went into monuments such as Notre-Dame de Paris and the Panthéon, carried by boat on the Yonne. Marks of picks and the traces of oil lamps can still be seen on the walls.

The quarry became a mushroom farm in 1927. In 1972 local growers joined forces to set up a sparkling wine cellar in the galleries, and they helped create the Crémant de Bourgogne appellation, whose decree was published in October 1975. Today some 430 growers supply grapes. The cellars produce more than three million bottles a year and keep a permanent stock of about 6.5 million bottles.