Ruinart, founded in 1729, is the oldest established Champagne house.
The house was established in Reims by Nicolas Ruinart, following an idea developed by his uncle Dom Thierry Ruinart, a Benedictine monk. The family’s early business was influenced by the growing popularity of sparkling wine and by the region’s established connections to trade and royal society.
Ruinart is especially associated with Chardonnay-based wines and with the ancient chalk crayères beneath Reims. These former chalk quarries provide naturally cool, stable cellars suitable for long bottle aging. The crayères are part of the UNESCO-listed historic Champagne vineyards, houses and cellars landscape.
“Oldest Champagne house” refers to the date of establishment as a Champagne house, not to the oldest surviving vineyard or the oldest bottle of wine. Other famous houses, including Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, were founded later.