Ruinart

Ruinart is located in Reims, in the heart of Champagne, France. Its famous cellars, the Crayères, are ancient Gallo-Roman chalk quarries dug beneath the city to a depth of about 40 meters, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site: here, along eight kilometers across three levels, Ruinart Champagnes rest and age, benefiting from constant temperature and humidity ideal for maturation.

Yes: Ruinart is the oldest Champagne house, founded on September 1, 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart, following the idea of his uncle, Dom Thierry Ruinart. In 1768 Nicolas Ruinart bought the Gallo-Roman quarries of Reims to turn them into the historic aging site. The first shipment of sparkling wine took place in January 1730, initially as a promotional gift to clients of the family's textile business, later abandoned entirely in favor of Champagne production alone.

Ruinart's range is mainly built on Chardonnay-only cuvées: R de Ruinart, the Blanc de Blancs (the cuvée symbolic of the Ruinart style), Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs (the vintage prestige cuvée), and the more recent Blanc Singulier, designed to adapt to a changing climate. Dom Ruinart remains the house's most celebrated and sought-after label, made only in the best vintages.

Yes: the Crayères, the Gallo-Roman cellars carved into chalk about 40 meters deep and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, can only be visited by reservation, seven days a week, in groups of up to 12 people. The tour lasts about two hours and includes a guided tasting of two cuvées, priced at 70 euros per person — an experience combining history, underground architecture and tasting.