Époye

Époye is a quiet village in the countryside around Reims. Travellers in Champagne tend to pass through on the way to the better-known wine villages rather than make a special trip. That is exactly why it is worth taking an honest look at what the place is about.

Location

The commune lies in the Marne département in the Grand Est region, roughly 15 kilometres east-northeast of the centre of Reims. It belongs to the arrondissement of Reims and the canton of Mourmelon-Vesle et Monts de Champagne. Its neighbouring communes include Saint-Masmes, Selles, Beine-Nauroy, Berru and Lavannes. According to the Insee statistics office, Époye is a rural commune with scattered housing and forms part of the Reims catchment area. The most recent population count is 416 inhabitants (2023).

Land, water and climate

The commune is strongly agricultural in character. Around 84.5 per cent of the land is arable, about 13.5 per cent is woodland, and only 2 per cent is built up. The source does not mention any vineyards, and Époye is neither a grand cru nor a premier cru village. Water comes from the Ruisseau d'Epoye and several arms of the Conge. The climate is described as oceanic, with moderate sunshine, rainfall spread evenly through the year and cool winters. Over the years 1971 to 2000, the average annual temperature was 10.2 °C and rainfall averaged 674 millimetres.

“The most recent population count is 416 inhabitants (2023).Land, water and climateThe commune is strongly agricultural in character.

History and sights

The name of the village is documented from the 10th century: around 948 it appears as Spida, in 1126 as Spoia, and later as Espoye and Espois. The church is the real highlight of the village's history. The cemetery surrounds it, and its walls were built in 1834. The stone base of a 16th-century cross still survives there, though it is badly weathered.

Billecart-Salmon Champagner-Keller

• Church of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens, listed as a monument historique since 8 June 1921
• Cemetery wall of 1834 with the 16th-century cross base

The theologian Jean Gerbais, who lived from 1622 to 1692, is also associated with the village.

What it means for wine lovers

For champagne lovers, Époye is mainly a stop on the edge of the Reims region. If you are driving east out of Reims, you can make a short halt at the church. For tastings and grower visits, head to other communes in the Marne where the vine shapes the landscape. The village itself stands for the rural hinterland of Champagne, where arable farming and woodland dominate.