Maison Ruinart

Vinyard in Reims

Ruinart, proudly holds the distinction of being the most ancient Champagne house, devoted solely to crafting champagne since 1729. This illustrious establishment was established by Nicolas Ruinart within the Champagne region, situated in the city of Reims. Presently, it stands under the ownership of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA.

Driven by entrepreneurial spirit, Nicolas Ruinart brought to life the aspirations of his uncle, Dom Thierry Ruinart, by establishing Ruinart as an authentic Champagne house. This achievement was realized shortly after the 1728 decree of Louis XV, granting permission for wine transportation in bottles. Prior to this decree, wine could only be transported in barrels, limiting Champagne’s reach to local markets due to its inability to travel far.

On 1 September 1729, Nicolas Ruinart founded the House of Ruinart. The inaugural batch of “wine with bubbles” was dispatched in January 1730. Initially, the sparkling wine was presented as a business offering to cloth buyers, as Dom Ruinart’s brother was a cloth merchant. Six years later, the success in the Champagne trade led Maison Ruinart to discontinue its cloth selling activities.

Ruinart has cultivated a profound association with the Arts. In 1895, Andre Ruinart commissioned Czech artist Alphonse Mucha to craft a poster for Ruinart. Presently, the brand maintains a strong connection with contemporary art, participating in various global events such as ARCO, the Foire de Bale, the Carre Rive Gauche, London Design, and Miami Art Basel.

The brand has collaborated with notable designers to create distinctive bottle stoppers and accessories. In 2006, India Mahdavi conceived the “Champagne Spoon” bottle stopper. Christian Biecher followed in 2007 with the “Flower” bottle stopper. Patricia Urquiola designed the “Fil d’Or” bottle stopper in 2010, while Maarten Baas, acclaimed as “Designer of the Year” at Art Basel Miami 2009, introduced the “Bouquet de Champagne” in 2008 and the innovative “Melting” ice bucket in 2010.

The Maison Ruinart appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Reims!

This website uses affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you!