Epernay house founded 1811, owned by Pernod Ricard, known for the Art Nouveau anemone bottle of its Belle Epoque prestige cuvee and a Chardonnay-leaning style.
Signature wines: perrier-jouet-belle-epoque, perrier-jouet-grand-brut
Tip: The anemone bottle was designed by Emile Galle in 1902 and revived for Belle Epoque in 1969.
Address: 28 avenue de Champagne, 51200 Epernay, France
Reims house tracing to 1734 and re-acquired by the Taittinger family in 2006, Chardonnay-led with deep Gallo-Roman chalk cellars beneath the Saint-Nicaise hill.
Tasting: Guided tours of the Gallo-Roman chalk crayeres at Saint-Nicaise; booking recommended in season.
Signature wines: taittinger-comtes-de-champagne, taittinger-brut-reserve
Tip: Its cellars occupy former Gallo-Roman chalk pits and the crypt of a 13th-century abbey.
Founded 1729 in Reims and owned by LVMH, Ruinart is Chardonnay-focused and known for its deep UNESCO-listed chalk crayeres on the Saint-Nicaise hill.
Tasting: Tours of the UNESCO-listed chalk crayeres, tastings and garden visits at the redesigned 4 rue des Crayeres site.
Signature wines: dom-ruinart-blanc-de-blancs, ruinart-blanc-de-blancs
Tip: Its crayeres descend about 40 metres into Gallo-Roman chalk and are a UNESCO World Heritage feature.
Family-owned Mareuil-sur-Ay house founded 1818, celebrated for its delicate brut rose and a long, cold fermentation that yields a fresh, precise style.
Tasting: Estate visits by appointment at Mareuil-sur-Ay; family house known for cold, slow fermentation.
Signature wines: billecart-salmon-brut-rose, billecart-salmon-cuvee-nicolas-francois
Tip: Its salmon-pink Brut Rose has been made by the house's cold, slow fermentation method since the 1830s.
Reims house founded 1851 by Charles-Camille Heidsieck and owned by EPI, prized for a large reserve-wine component and rich, mature Brut Reserve.
Tasting: The house is not generally open to the public for visits.
Signature wines: charles-heidsieck-brut-reserve, charles-heidsieck-blanc-des-millenaires
Tip: Founder Charles-Camille earned the nickname Champagne Charlie selling in 19th-century America.
Reims house founded 1785 and owned by EPI, Pinot-led with a crisp, fruit-forward brut and the rare prestige cuvee Rare.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings; book in advance.
Signature wines: piper-heidsieck-cuvee-brut, piper-heidsieck-rare
Tip: Marilyn Monroe famously name-checked the brand; the prestige cuvee Rare is now its own label.
Family-controlled house at Tours-sur-Marne founded 1812, known for a fresh, Chardonnay-influenced style and a pioneering saignee Cuvee Rose.
Tasting: Visits by appointment; family group house at Tours-sur-Marne.
Signature wines: laurent-perrier-la-cuvee, laurent-perrier-cuvee-rose
Tip: Its Cuvee Rose is made by skin maceration (saignee), unusual among the big houses.
