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.
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.
Address: 4 rue des Crayeres, 51100 Reims, France, Champagne
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, Rare Champagne
Tip: Marilyn Monroe famously name-checked the brand; the prestige cuvee Rare is now its own label.
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, Rare Champagne
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.
Ay house founded 1838 by William Deutz and Pierre-Hubert Geldermann, now part of the Roederer group, with an elegant, structured Pinot-led style.
Tasting: Visits by appointment at the Ay house.
Signature wines: Deutz Brut Classic, Deutz Cuvee William Deutz
Tip: Its prestige cuvee Amour de Deutz is a refined Chardonnay-driven counterpart to the William Deutz.
Single-cuvee Blanc de Blancs house at Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, founded 1905, releasing only declared vintages of Cuvee S from one Grand Cru village.
Tasting: Not open to the general public; allocation only through trade and private channels.
Signature wines: Salon Cuvee S Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs
Tip: Salon makes one wine only and in non-declared years the fruit goes to sister house Delamotte.
Join a scenic tour of the Champagne region starting from Reims. Explore the village of Hautvillers and visit 2 family-run wineries to learn about the Champagne-making ...
Embark on an unforgettable afternoon tour of the Champagne region, starting in Reims at 2:00 pm, right in front of the Reims Centre train station's tourist office (add...
Meet your expert guide at 11:15 am at Reims or Epernay train station to begin your Champagne adventure. Drive along Epernay’s iconic Avenue de Champagne, famous for it...
Reims champagne tours (77) · Wine tastings and winery visits in Champagne (62) · Wine tours and day trips in Champagne (132) · Wine tours by bike in Champagne (8)
