The first established Champagne house in Reims, Maison Ruinart, was founded in 1729 by Nicolas Ruinart after he was inspired by his scholarly uncle and Benedictine monk Dom Thierry Ruinart. As a visionary, Dom Thierry had an intellectual curiosity and was able to foresee the future of “wine with bubbles” before champagne had become the language of celebration. Their early buildings were destroyed during World War I, so Ruinart moved its operations to the cool, underground chalk cathedrals below called “crayères”, built during the Gallo-Roman era. The Maison was rebuilt, along with the newly constructed Ruinart Pavillon, above these mineral rich cellars which are used for aging of their champagne. Ruinart became the first producer to craft rosé champagne in 1764. The Maison would also set itself apart from its peers devoting its signature style to the ultimate expression and precision of Chardonnay in its champagne.

In French, a Maison is referred to as a house or in some cases a fashion business. Moët Hennessy merged with the multinational luxury goods corporation Louis Vuitton in 1987 to form LVMH. There are 29 wine and spirits Maisons within LVMH including the prestigious Champagne houses of Krug, Dom Pérignon, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Mercier, Armand de Brignac and Ruinart.

At the helm of Maison Ruinart is its president, Frédéric Dufour who has become the modern soul of the world’s oldest Champagne house. Under Dufour’s leadership, he has transformed Ruinart’s future while honoring their ancient roots and preserving its living heritage.

Frédéric began his career completing dual training in engineering and sales, before undertaking a position as a trader in New York. This was followed by working eight years with Anderson consulting where he was introduced to the Champagne house of Moët Hennessy, which had been one of his clients. In 1996, he joined Moët Hennessy and according to Frederic, “this career path gave me an international perspective and a taste for skilled craftsmanship, which reflects France's image around the world. That's what motivated me to join the Moët Hennessy.” He diligently worked in Asia for eight years, developing various brands for Moët Hennessy, including champagne, wine and spirits. Upon his return to France in 2005, he advanced to Veuve Clicquot, part of Moët & Chandon, “working on the strategy and international development of these brands.” By 2011, he assumed the role as president of Maison Ruinart.

Frédéric views each of the champagne houses as “independent in their strategy, wine style, marketing and commercial development.” The Maisons operate according to a model of independence and healthy constructive competition, bringing constant innovation and fostering a positive and constructive dynamic. Regarding Ruinart, “Ruinart is an authentic Maison that cultivates harmony between tradition and modernity, between savoir-faire and innovation.”

I was curious why Ruinart has always focused on a dominant blend of Chardonnay in their champagnes. Frédéric admits “In fact, Chardonnay became Ruinart's signature grape variety in the 1950s, under the impetus of the founding family. At the time and before, Chardonnay was not considered so much as a noble grape variety, with Pinot Noir enjoying a more prestigious reputation. Ruinart's pioneering genius was to select Chardonnay for its wines before most Maisons, enabling it to offer light, accessible, elegant, and refined champagnes that can be enjoyed at any time of day. Today, this visionary choice is an integral part of the Maison’s identity.”

What is Frédéric’s perspective with regards to Ruinart’s noteworthy rosés? “Ruinart was the first Maison to create a rosé champagne, back in 1764. Our rosés are distinguished by their strong aromatics and deep color, thanks to a high proportion of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, reflecting the style of all our wines with the great freshness, finesse, and lightness specific to Maison Ruinart. It is this quest for aromatics and freshness that sets our rosés apart from those of other Maisons.”

The role of chef de cave (cellar master) at Ruinart was Frédéric Panaïotis, who assumed this position in 2007 after working at Veuve Cliquot for 12 years. He spent nearly two decades at Ruinart before his untimely death in June 2025 after a freediving accident. He was a highly respected winemaker and credited with many achievements at Ruinart. He was viewed as “a formidable professional, driven by a constant pursuit of excellence and innovation. He was a great wine and champagne taster and gourmet, with an exceptional cultural curiosity. Caroline Fiot who had worked on Frédéric Panaïotis’s team has succeeded him in the position as chef de cave and will officially take the role in January 2026.

Among Frédéric Panaïotis accomplishments was the creation of a new iconic cuvée, the Ruinart Blanc Singular composed of 100% Chardonnay. Frédéric Dufour believes, “Chardonnay is now revealing pronounced textures and more aromatic profiles that are fruitier and spicier, as temperatures in the Champagne region change and ripening accelerates. This cuvée embodies Ruinart’s capacity to adapt its know-how to a natural environment impacted by climate change.”

Another consequential achievement by chef de cave Frédéric Panaïotis was

the inspiration in creating a more age worthy, contemporary interpretation of their prestigious tête de cuvée Dom Ruinart. As Frédéric describes it, “In 2010, the Maison decided to replace crown caps with cork during aging for Dom Ruinart, enabling us to age these precious bottles on lees for longer. This decision followed years of testing, beginning in 1998, on the contribution of cork stoppers to the aging of wine. It was found that, for wines aged less than five years, cork provides less protection than a capsule during aging, while for wines aged more than five years, which is obviously the case for our Dom Ruinart cuvées, cork provides much better protection against oxidation than a capsule.” After tasting the release of the 2010 Dom Ruinart, I can attest to the exemplary expression, refined purity and endless layers of complexity this compelling champagne conveys. It is an intellectual exercise that excels beyond previous vintages.  

Frédéric Dufour also guided Maison Ruinart into a new era of architectural expression with his inspiration and leadership behind the landmark project of the new Ruinart Pavillon. He chose Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, French interior designer Gwenaël Nicolas and landscape artist Christophe Gautrand to create an aesthetic “cultural destination” for visitors encircled by gardens, art and Ruinart’s culture.

Frédéric Dufour envisions his legacy, “I feel like I have taken the reins of a traditional French house and led it towards greater modernity, a new strong cultural social responsibility, cultural dimension, and international dimension, while strengthening its heritage and expertise. Together with my teams, we have been able to bring modernity without ever losing the essence of the Maison, innovating both in wines and practices, while preserving and developing the excellence of our expertise.”

Through Dufour’s thoughtful leadership, Ruinart continues to shine as a beacon of elegance in Champagne, reminding us that heritage becomes truly enduring only when guided by a visionary hand.