Champagne can be divided into two major camps: the big houses and the grower-producers. While it’s trendy to nerd out about the details of each grower Champagne right now, the larger houses dominate the industry, with the top estates making up about 90 percent of the market. So for consumers looking to buy some bubbly, it’s important to learn more about the brands that line the majority of shop shelves.
While most wine lovers are likely familiar with Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon, there are a lot of estates to explore beyond those better-known labels. In fact, there are 24 major brands that are considered the “Grand Marques,” meaning “great” or “famous” brands. These Champagne houses were historically part of an official group: the Club des Grandes Marques. (This association disbanded in 1997, but they are still commonly referred to as the Grand Marques.) So if you’re a fan of the big, luxury Champagne houses and want to learn more, these 24 historic brands are a great place to start.
Read on for a complete list of the major Champagne houses you need to know.
Ayala
Champagne Ayala was founded in 1860 by Edmond de Ayala. It’s located in the heart of the Aÿ grand cru and is known for its low-dosage expressions. The winery’s signature bottling is a Blanc de Blancs, showcasing the chalky terroir from both the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims through Chardonnay.
Billecart-Salmon
Though Billecart-Salmon is considered one of the top Champagne houses, its production is relatively small — 2.5 million bottles annually compared to the about 20 million bottles from Veuve Clicquot — making it a perpetual somm favorite. It was founded in 1818 when Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon were married, and has been family-run for over seven generations. Billecart-Salmon actually farms about 250 acres of its own estate vineyards, sourcing the remainder of the grapes from thoughtfully farmed crus across the Champagne region.
Bollinger
Bollinger is one of the only remaining independent Champagne houses, family-owned since its founding in 1829. Though the winery crafts a variety of expressions, it’s best known for its rich, Pinot Noir-driven blends.
Canard-Duchêne
Barrel maker Victor Canard and Lèonie Duchêne, the daughter of a family of winegrowers, met in the vineyards of the Montagne de Reims and decided to put their talents together, founding Canard-Duchêne in 1868. It’s not the most well-known or prestigious Champagne brand out there, so the bottles are often available at accessible prices, making these wines a great place to start a Champagne journey.
Charles Heidsieck
At just 29 years old, Charles Heidsieck decided to strike out on his own, diverging from his family (the owners of what went on to become the popular Piper-Heidsieck and Heidsieck & Co Monopole) to start a brand in his own name in 1851. Known widely as Champagne Charlie, Heidsieck had storied adventures across the globe, including a few visits to the U.S., where at one point he was arrested for espionage and later went on to own Denver. Now his legacy lives on through the estate’s high-quality bottles, including the Champagne Charlie cuvée made in his honor.
Deutz
Founded in 1838 by William Deutz and Pierre Gelderman, Champagne Deutz is based in Aÿ, one of the 17 grand cru villages of Champagne, where Pinot Noir is the star. While the historic house was always revered in the region, its popularity waned toward the end of the 20th century, prompting the owners to put it up for sale. It was acquired by the Rouzaud family, owners of Louis Roederer Champagne, who have invested in reviving this house.
Gosset
Another winery based in the prestigious Aÿ region, Gosset’s history goes back to 1584, making it one of the oldest wine houses in Champagne. After more than 400 years of family ownership, Champagne Gosset was purchased by the Renaud-Cointreau family in 1993. The wines don’t undergo malolactic fermentation, leading to the pure, precise style that Gosset is known for.
Heidsieck & Co Monopole
The original Heidsieck Champagne house was established in 1785 by Florenz-Ludwig Heidsieck, but this estate eventually became three separate houses, with two of Heidsieck’s nephews starting the famed Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck brands. Henri-Louis Walbaum continued the Heidsieck & Co business alone and established Monopole in 1860. The brand’s Gout American cuvée was actually one of the wines poured on the Titanic.
Krug
One of the most esteemed Champagne brands in the wine world, Krug exudes luxury. Its metallic gold label, distinctive bottle shape, and opulent, full-bodied flavor profile make it one of the ultimate splurge-worthy bottles. Joseph Krug, who founded the estate in 1843, believed in making the best Champagne he could offer each year, regardless of vintage variation. So instead of listing each wine as vintage or non-vintage like most Champagne houses, Krug introduced the concept of “editions,” releasing a new iteration of its masterful blend of wines from different vintages each year.
Lanson
Maison Lanson was founded in 1760 in the heart of Reims. In 1900, the historic house was awarded a Royal Warrant — a prestigious patent given by the British monarchy to suppliers of the Royal Court of England — from Queen Victoria. (A title that the house proudly held for 125 years until it was recently revoked by King Charles III.)
Laurent-Perrier
On the other hand, Laurent-Perrier received its first Royal Warrant from King Charles III in 2024. The estate, founded in 1812, is widely known for its deeply hued rosé made via meticulous control over the maceration of high-quality Pinot Noir grapes.
Louis Roederer
Louis Roederer is one of the most renowned brands in Champagne, primarily recognized for its tête de cuvée bottling, Cristal. This prestige cuvée has a distinct signature look that can be traced back to the wine’s connection to Tsar Alexander II of Russia and his (understandable) fear of assassination attempts. Legend has it that he requested his wine be delivered in a “crystal clear” bottle. It wasn’t actually until 1945 that this special bottling was released to the public for purchase as the luxury Champagne we know today.
Mercier
Established in 1858, Mercier is located in Épernay and is one of the more under-the-radar brands of the LVMH portfolio, providing great value wines known for their fresh and simple style. Founder Eugène Mercier actually tried to draw attention to the winery in 1870 by building the largest wine cask in the world. The resulting product was one of the major attractions of the 1889 Exposition Universelle, towering over 16 feet tall and able to hold up to 200,000 bottles.
Moët & Chandon
Moët & Chandon, one of the namesake companies in the powerhouse LVMH brand, isn’t just one of the biggest names in luxury Champagne, but is also literally one of the largest producers — making close to 30 million bottles each year. (With all this recognition, you’d think more people would know how to pronounce the tricky name.) The Champagne house, which opened in 1743, is known for its accessible entry-level wines, but is also as he winery behind the ultimate luxury cuvée: Dom Perignon.
G.H. Mumm
Founded in 1827, Mumm is another massive brand, producing about 8 million bottles of Champagne each year. Mumm’s wines are great entry-level bottles, available at lower prices than many of the Grand Marques on this list. And if you prefer supporting domestic sparkling wine, Mumm also owns a winery in Napa.
Joseph Perrier
The Perrier name shows up a few times in the world of major Champagne in brands like Laurent-Perrier and Perrier-Jouët. Though Joseph Perrier is the least illustrious of the three, it’s still a producer with great history. Joseph Perrier, the nephew of Pierre Nicolas-Marie Perrier who founded Perrier-Jouët in 1811, established the house in 1825.
Perrier-Jouët
The other wing of the Perrier family legacy, Perrier-Jouët is known for its stunning floral bottles. The house’s premier vintage bottling, the Belle Époque cuvée, is adorned with paintings of Japanese white anemones that were designed for the winery by Emile Gallé in 1902. The wine is celebrated for its freshness and finesse.
Piper-Heidsieck
With a history going back to 1785 and an eye-catching red label, Piper-Heidsieck is one of the more iconic Champagne Houses. Until recently, it was also the long-standing official Champagne of the Oscars, with its red and gold look fitting the bill perfectly. The winery’s signature Cuvée Brut is a quintessential non-vintage Champagne, made with a blend of more than 100 crus across the region.
Pol Roger
Founded in 1849, Pol Roger is one of only a few Grande Marque Champagne houses that remains family owned and operated. It’s a relatively small, quality-focused house that owns close to 55 percent of the vineyards used for its Champagne production. Though the winery has wonderfully expressive entry-level Champagnes, it’s best known for its Sir Winston Churchill Cuvée as an homage to what the world leader would look for in a Champagne. The brand is still closely tied to the U.K., and holds a Royal Warrant from the monarchy.
Pommery
Pommery has a rich history in Champagne, and is often credited with creating the dry style we know and love today, as opposed to the sweeter bubbly wines that were more popular a few centuries back. Madame Louise Pommery, who took over in 1858 after the death of her husband, launched the Pommery Nature in 1874, spearheading the brut Champagne category. The popular brand is still prominent today.
Ruinart
While many of these estates have been around for hundreds of years, Ruinart claims it’s the first official Champagne house, founded in 1729. The renowned estate, part of the LVMH portfolio, remains a leading name in luxury Champagne, known for its elegant Blanc de Blancs bottling.
Salon
While most of these Grand Marques are widely accessible, with production levels in the millions, Salon is a cult-favorite producer that sells for sky-high prices, making no more than 60,000 bottles a year. The wine is only produced in the greatest vintages, and is a singular expression of Chardonnay from the Le Mesnil-sur-Oger cru in the Côte des Blancs. The estate is relatively new to the Champagne scene, making the first vintage in 1905, but it already has legendary status.
Taittinger
Taittinger is another rare example of a large family-owned Champagne house. The estate has 712 acres of vineyards that it harvests to make Chardonnay-forward blends. Like many of these houses, Taittinger has great entry-level bottlings, but Champagne lovers covet its tête de cuvée, the Comtes de Champagne Grands Crus Blanc de Blancs.
Veuve Clicquot
Last but certainly not least, we have the Champagne house with the iconic Yellow Label bottling. Veuve Clicquot is named after Madame Barbe Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, the daughter of a textile manufacturer in Reims. Widowed at the young age of 27 — veuve means “widow” in French — she became a pioneer in the industry, making the quintessential Champagne house what it is today. The winery’s prestige cuvée, La Grande Dame, is made in her honor, with a Pinot Noir-forward blend that calls back to Madame Clicquot’s innovation in including red grapes in Champagne. The winery is one of the largest producers in Champagne, making about 20 million bottles a year.
*Image retrieved from New Africa via stock.adobe.com
