Informing and providing instruction for an entire spectrum of motivators and specifiers with a view to furthering their knowledge of the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée of Champagne are among the principal missions of the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC),the Champagne region's joint committee of wine growers and producers, which is based in Epernay in France.
These missions are performed by its public - public relations and hospitality service in close association with 13 champagne information centres that represent the CIVC in the world’s principal export markets.

Each year, this service handles around 250 visitor dossiers, representing some 2,500 people most of whom come from all over the world. More than a hundred reporters and journalists from the written press and world of broadcasting, as well as several hundred students and teachers specialising in food and wine, are thus welcomed to Champagne - France.

The CIVC also works with and organises activity-training sessions and lunches and dinners on the theme of food and champagne pairing for actively-employed wine waiters, wine consultants and students wishing to become wine waiters.

Requests for visits come either from one of the champagne information centres or are made directly to the CIVC - particularly in the case of institutions, ministries, brand agencies, etc.

A specifically "tailored" Champagne programme is devised for all visitors, aimed at increasing their acquaintance with and enjoyment of the wine-producing area of Champagne, its broad range of professions (grower-producer, grower-seller, delivery person, etc.), its wines and, consequently, a common and unique heritage - the Champagne Appellation.

Visits generally last three days but may, in rare cases, be as long as two weeks. They can include a tasting session as an introduction to the region’s wide variety of wines. For these purposes, over 1,400 bottles a year are taken from the CIVC’s educational cellar.

Each year, the CIVC solicits the help of several hundred professionals from the champagne world (champagne Houses, producers and cooperatives) to conduct such visits, the success of which largely depends on visitors meeting and interacting with these professionals.

If Champagne leaves an indelible image in the minds of those who have been accompanied by good guides around the Champagne vineyards, through its impressive underground storage cellars or the smaller production areas of the Côte des Bar or the western Marne valley, the credit goes to the champagne professionals who are prepared to give up their time to convey their enthusiasm and commitment and explain to interested visitors an aspect of the Champagne region that is dear to their hearts.