Venteuil

Between mountain and river

Venteuil lies in the west of the Marne département, on the southern slope of the Montagne de Reims, above the Marne valley. The Marne flows along the southern edge of the commune, and on the far bank of the river begins the neighbouring commune of Boursault. You can reach Épernay by road in about 11 kilometres, and Reims is roughly 35 kilometres away. The commune is part of the Montagne de Reims Regional Nature Park.

Across 625 hectares the land rises from 67 metres at the Marne to 259 metres at the edge of the plateau. Up on the plateau stands the isolated farm of Ferme d'Harnotay. The village itself and its two hamlets, Tincourt to the west and Arty to the east, sit on the terraces of the slope below.

Vineyards and landscape

The economy of Venteuil is strongly shaped by winegrowing. The vines stand on the slopes above the Marne, and they also limit how far the settlements can grow. Around a third of the commune consists of permanent crops, mostly vineyards. More than 40 per cent is covered by forest. Place names such as Les Beaux Ceps, Clos du Château or Les Crayères tell of this wine landscape. Venteuil is not classified as grand cru or premier cru. It belongs to the Marne valley wine-growing area, where Pinot Meunier traditionally plays a major role.

“These areas belong to the Natura 2000 network.For lovers of champagne, Venteuil is therefore a quiet place for a walk through the vineyards, away from the well-known champagne towns.

The village and what to see

In the old village centre the houses stand tightly packed, and the lanes are narrow and often winding. Newer buildings have appeared since the 1970s, mainly along the D22 departmental road. Buildings worth a stop include:

• the church of Sainte-Geneviève
• several old wash houses (lavoirs)
• various memorials around the village

One particularity is the Lutetian fossil deposits, which on the middle slope belong to the area of Damery and Fleury-la-Rivière.

Aperitif Champagner

Nature around the vineyards

Between the vines and the woods lie two ecologically significant zones (ZNIEFF). The slopes of Tincourt carry, over about 110 hectares, a light woodland that is rare in the Marne, with whitebeams such as the Fontainebleau whitebeam, as well as dry grassland. The protected sand lizard lives here. The Pâtis between Damery and Venteuil cover about 100 hectares of pine forest, oak woodland, small ponds and heath with heather and broom. Many species of dragonfly live there, along with the yellow-bellied toad. These areas belong to the Natura 2000 network.

For lovers of champagne, Venteuil is therefore a quiet place for a walk through the vineyards, away from the well-known champagne towns. With 462 inhabitants (2023), the village remains small. Its residents are called Venteuillats.