About

Ruinart was the first sparkling wine house in Champagne, founded in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart. It is now part of the LVMH group. The Ruinart House does not have significant vineyard holdings, so a high percentage of production grapes are purchased from growers. Ruinart wines tend to be chardonnay dominated, silky and refined.

Annual Production

Over 2.5 million bottles are produced. Actual production numbers are proprietary.

Producer Style

Ruinart produces champagne that is typically chardonnay dominated, silky, toasty and refined.

Producer Type

Ruinart has about 40 acres of vineyards which is not near enough to supply their needs for production. Most of their grapes are purchased from other growers. The French regulators designate Ruinart as a Negociant Manipulant (a producer who buys grapes from growers).

Producer Website

www.ruinart.com

People

Current Owner

LVMH Group (Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton)

Cellar Master

Frédéric Panaïotis (since 2007)
Frédéric Panaïotis is a graduate of the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon and from the Ecole Superieure d'Oenologie de Montpellier. As a child he spent a great deal of time in his grandparents' vineyards. Prior to coming to Ruinart he was winemaker at Veuve Clicquot.

Production

Ghislain Bonnet

 

History

In 1728, sales of wine in bottles outside their area of production, was legalized in France. Prior to that time it was illegal to transport wine in glass bottles made in Champagne outside the region. The Royal Decree issued by Louis XV paved the way for the establishment of the first Champagne House by Nicolas Ruinart in 1729. In the past, wine bottles were too fragile to transport. The English had developed methods for producing much stronger glass using coal fires and reinforcement with the addition of iron and manganese.
Nicolas Ruinart was the nephew of Dom Thierry Ruinart, a Benedictine monk and friend to Dom Perignon. Dom Ruinart was also a visionary scholar and had a passion for the study of wine. His passion was passed on to Nicolas.
A draper by trade, Nicolas Ruinart started producing champagne in 1729 for his customers as a token of his appreciation, but soon found the champagne trade to be more rewarding than the cloth trade. In 1735, champagne became his sole occupation. In the mid 1700’s Ruinart acquired the Gallo-Roman chalk quarries under Reims. The quarries were declared a historical monument in 1931.
Nicolas’ eldest grandson, Irénée along with his son Edmond, continued the tradition and expansion by selling to royalty and dignitaries throughout the world. Edmond’s son Edgar also followed suit and so the passion was passed down from generation to generation. When Ruinart’s buildings were destroyed during the Battle of the Marne in World War I, André Ruinart continued to conduct business in the magnificent caves. When the caves were flooded after further shelling, he managed the company from a raft floating in the cavernous cellars. Investment from Baron Philippe Rothschild in 1950 gave the company a boost. In 1963, the house was acquired by Moet & Chandon and later becoming part of the Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton (LVMH) group.