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Ruinart
Ruinart
Reims France
 
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Ruinart Champagne

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.

Ruinart Champagne Collection

Dry and Sweet
Ruinart only offers a dry style of champagne. Our Sweet Champagne web page provides a list of sweet champagne brands.

Ruinart Dry Styles

Non-Vintage
Ruinart Brut is their house style champagne that accounts for a significant part of their champagne production. It is also referred to as R de Ruinart. In addition, they produce a non-vintage brut rose' and a blanc de blancs. The following links provide a review, tasting notes, retail price, and ratings by Champagne 411, Wine Enthusiast, and/or Wine Spectator.

Vintage Prestige Cuvee
Dom Ruinart is their prestige cuvee brand. They produce two styles: Dom Ruinart Rose' and Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. Recent vintages are listed below. Click on a link to obtain a review, tasting notes, retail price, and ratings.

Ruinart 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 Moet & Chandon, later becoming part of the Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton (LVMH) group.   

More On Ruinart

About Ruinart
Our About Ruinart webpage includes general information about the champagne house and their key people.

Contact and Visitor Information
Contact and possible tour information can be found in our Contact Ruinart report.

Official Website
The official website is http://www.ruinart.com/.

 
 
   
 
 
 
 

 

 
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