Published: 21 May 2026
Ruinart Champagne holds the distinction of being the oldest established house in the world, tracing its origins back to the late 17th century in the heart of Reims, and pre-dating every other house significantly. The house is deeply intertwined with the history of the Champagne region, maintaining a commitment to traditional methods that have been passed down through generations of meticulous winemakers, and setting the standard for the best quality champagne the region produces.
A visit to the estate provides a rare opportunity to descend into the historic crayères - ancient chalk labyrinths designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site that function as the city’s historical basement, holding treasures from Neolithic times to the Romans’ first efforts to cultivate the land for viticulture. These cool, subterranean cellars offer the perfect environment for aging the region's iconic cuvées and showcase the enduring legacy of one of the most prestigious names in French viticulture. There’s so much more to Ruinart than just champagne, and visiting the house to try their signature products is only the beginning for exploring this region’s secrets at its original manufacturer.
A Brief History of Champagne
The founding of Ruinart in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart marked a pivotal shift in the history of France. A cloth merchant who was facing financial difficulty due to the advent of new taxes on textiles in the city, Nicolas was driven by the growing fascination with champagne, which was exploding in popularity to cater to the whims of the aristocracy. Seeing an opportunity, Nicolas leveraged his professional instincts to establish the world’s first dedicated champagne house, transforming his family’s fortunes and shaking the foundations of viticulture in Europe.
Over the next three centuries, the house flourished through its championing of the use of Chardonnay grapes, a rare move at the time compared to their widespread use today, but this eventually defined the brand's signature style. Whilst names like Don Perignon, Cliquot, Pommery and Louis Roederer are rightly lauded as landmark innovators or creators of incredible varieties, Ruinart deserves more recognition for establishing the idea of a champagne house as a major enterprise. Nicolas laid the ground ahead so that the biggest names in Champagne could walk in his footsteps and become the giants they are today.
Location and Terroir
Thanks to the unique geography of Reims, Ruinart draws its strength, quite literally, from the ground. The Montagne de Reims area is defined by its rolling hills and a deep, chalk-rich subsoil that serves as the lifeblood for Champagne’s winemaking philosophy. This ancient chalk is highly valued for its ability to provide natural drainage and regulate temperatures, but it is perhaps most famous for imparting a distinctive mineral character to the grapes. The cycle of the grapes is complete when they are, quite literally, returned to the earth to lie resting in the crayères below houses like Ruinart, which are so expansive that the entire network under the city of Reims ranges for hundreds of kilometres. This aging process is what gives the wine its signature depth and complexity of flavour and is a tradition that first began under the Roman prefecture more than 2000 years ago. The estate’s vineyards and the purchasing of predominantly Chardonnay grapes span across some of the most sought-after Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites in the region. While this famously white and ripe grape defines the house's style, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes cannot be excluded from all formulas, although Ruinart does offer some exceptional wines that manage to avoid any other varietals entirely.
Exceptional Champagne
Ruinart has earned its reputation by championing a Chardonnay-dominant approach to its wine, most notably through its celebrated house Blanc de Blancs, but also by offering more experimental varietals such as its 2018 Blanc Singular and the Dom Ruinart vintage. Whilst the house is a composite mix of up to 30 different crus, including at least 20% reserve wine, the Dom Ruinart vintage is exclusively from Grand Crus for a more celebrated finish and flavour. The Blanc Singular is an exceptional vintage that’s made entirely from carefully selected grapes from exceptional harvests, offering a deeper, bolder complexity that's tantalisingly moreish.
In addition to its celebrated chardonnays the house produces several other popular variants, of which, their rosé is a standout, blending Chardonnay with Pinot Noir to create a delicate, pomegranate-pink champagne. However, for those seeking an even more elevated sample of this twist on classic champagne, the Dom Ruinart Rosé is a cut above, offering immense complexity and depth of flavour. Also of note is the R de Ruinart, which serves as the primary expression of the house style by blending Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier for a more rounded and fleshy character. Ruinart Champagne continues to set the bar for what defines a classic vintage across the entirety of the region.
Visiting Ruinart
A visit to Ruinart offers an opportunity to explore one of the most varied champagne houses there is to visit. Both innovative and chic, as well as traditional, Ruinart has gone to great lengths to embrace contemporary designs whilst retaining its iconic heritage. Any visit must always begin with a descent into the historic crayères, a common starting point for all Champagne house visits, but Ruinart offers something much more spectacular. The maison’s chalk chambers are widely considered the most beautiful in the entirety of the region, almost like descending into an underground cathedral that’s bathed in lights and shrouded in silhouettes carved by the impressive chalk formations.
During the tour, guides shine a light on the traditional production methods that define the house style, from the initial pressing and fermentation to the intricate arts of discouragement and riddling. These insights reveal the obsessive attention to detail required to maintain the consistency and elegance for which the Ruinart champagne is lauded. The visit concludes as it must, with a tasting within the beautiful Nicolas Ruinart Pavilion, a shimmering glass atrium with crystal chandeliers and marble counters. An alternate experience involves dining in the maison’s dining room, for a multiple-course lunch or dinner with tastings interspersed between dishes.
Explore Reims and its Plethora of Champagne Houses
Reims is the heart of the Champagne region, providing visitors with a central base to explore a wealth of notable producers and historic architecture, aside from the Ruinart. The city is home to the magnificent Gothic Reims Cathedral, which was the coronation site of the Kings of France, entirely rebuilt after the devastating conflict of the First World War. On top of boasting many prominent Roman ruins and museums, such as where the Armistice was signed to end World War I in Europe, between these activities and further cellar visits to the likes of Pommery, Veuve Cliquot, Tattinger and more.
Surrounding the city, vineyards stretch across gently rolling hills, continuing on similarly to nearby Epernay, and as far south in the region as Troyes. Idyllic in the summer when the grapes are ripening under the hot sun, visiting further champagne growers and houses is not merely an indulgence, but a journey through time. Champagne stands out as the world's most prominent wine region for its history, dedication to innovation and exceptional levels of wine making, far more than simple flavour alone. The fact that the fruits of this land, as exemplified by Ruinart Champagnes, have a satisfyingly sweet finish in a region with so much to savour.
