Chapelle Saint-Nicaise & the Telmont Cellars
While the Avenue de Champagne draws the crowds, the small Champagne house J. de Telmont in the village of Damery hides one of the region's most atmospheric secrets: a 12th-century chalk chapel carved directly into the hillside, accessible only on a guided cellar visit. It is the kind of place that makes you feel like you have discovered Champagne rather than been sold it.
A Chapel Inside a Hillside
The Chapelle Saint-Nicaise is a Romanesque oratory hewn from the soft chalk cliff behind the Telmont estate, used by monks and vineyard workers for centuries before being absorbed into the house's cellar network. The vaulted space holds a handful of riddling racks and a single stone altar — tastings held here by candlelight feel genuinely memorable.
Telmont itself is a small, family-owned house (now with investment from actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who bought a stake in 2021 to support its organic conversion) producing elegant, Marne-valley-style Champagnes with a focus on low-dosage and certified organic viticulture. The contrast with the corporate grandeur of the Avenue de Champagne is striking.
Visiting Damery & the Surrounding Villages
Damery is a quiet village on the left bank of the Marne, 8 km west of Épernay, surrounded by premier cru vineyards and almost entirely free of tourist infrastructure — which is precisely its charm. The village church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul has a fine Romanesque tower and is usually unlocked during daylight hours.
Combine a Telmont visit with a picnic on the Marne riverbank and a stop at one of the dozen or so small grower-producer domaines in neighbouring Cumières, where the river curves south and the vineyards face full south — the warmest microclimate in the whole appellation.
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