Champagne Vollereaux Defining Casual-Chic Champagne Since 1805
Every wine enthusiast (and even most people who don’t drink wine) knows Champagne as the world’s finest sparkling wine. It’s the bubbly wine lovers choose to celebrate special occasions — and that’s exactly what the Vollereaux family is all about. For over 200 years, the family has crafted joyous, casual-chic Champagnes that create the moment.
Although the family farms vineyards throughout France’s Champagne region, the Vollereaux Champagne house lies in the quaint village of Pierry, credited as the birthplace of Champagne. While the family has made elegant Champagne since 1805, the winery became fully independent — taking control of the entire winemaking process from grape growing to bottling — in 1923. This bold (and successful) business decision was initiated by Hélène Vollereaux to ensure their family was maximizing their earning potential. Since then, six generations of the family have led the house.
Current winemaker Franck Vollereaux has seamlessly blended his family’s winemaking traditions with modern innovations. Under his leadership, the team has implemented proactive sustainable viticulture practices, such as mechanical weeding and natural fertilizers. Franck has brought state-of-the-art equipment into the winery, but he also uses one 50-year-old traditional press and ages all the Champagne in his family’s 200-year-old cellar. It’s a dark, cavernous space carved out from the chalky earth, where the Champagnes can rest undisturbed until they’re perfectly mature.
One thing that remains the same is Champagne Vollereaux’s signature style. Each handcrafted wine — from the beautiful Vollereaux Rosé Champagne to the brilliant Brut — marries Champagne’s classic characteristics with Vollereaux’s unique casual-chic elegance. Even the bottles exude this casual-chic vibe, with their curvaceous, elongated necks and impressive engravings. The style resonates with customers and critics alike — Vollereaux Champagnes have earned 90+ point scores from Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, and Wine & Spirits, as well as gold medals from top international competitions.
While the acclaim is gratifying, of course, the Vollereaux family measures success in a different way. Their goal has always been to craft quality, artisanal Champagne that brings effervescent joy to life’s special moments. That’s what they’ve done for 200 years — and it’s what they hope to do for the next 200, too.
Champagne Vollereaux Highlights
Founded in 1805, the Vollereaux Champagne house lies in the village of Pierry, the birthplace of Champagne wine.
Winemaker Franck Vollereaux and business manager Hélène Vollereaux are the sixth generation of their family to run the winery.
Like Récoltant Manipulant (Grower Champagne) houses, the Vollereaux Champagne house controls the entire winemaking process.
Champagne Vollereaux is made with estate-grown grapes from vineyards tended by family members and is aged for more than twice the time required by Champagne’s strict rules.
Huge industry acclaim includes 90+ point scores from Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, and Wine & Spirits, as well as gold medals from top international competitions.
Pierry: The Birthplace of Champagne
Surrounded by vineyards, the Premier Cru classified village of Pierry lies in the countryside of Champagne’s Marne department. It’s here that Champagne was born. In the 17th century, Brother Jean Oudart was the first cellarer to use the liqueur de tirage method to create sparkling wine and among the first to sell wine in bottles instead of barrels. He also worked closely with Dom Pérignon to perfect the production of Champagne. Located in the center of Pierry, the Vollereaux Champagne house is ideally situated to add to the region’s illustrious history while ushering Champagne into the future.
The Natural Advantages of the Champagne Region
Like many of the world’s wine regions, Champagne owes its fame, in large part, to its favorable terroir. Officially defined in 1927, Champagne lies in the northeastern corner of France. The northern location brings cool temperatures (50° F on average), which preserves freshness in the grapes, while the continental climate offers ample sunshine (roughly 1,630 hours annually) to help grapes ripen fully.
Five members of the Vollereaux family own a total of 40 hectares/100 acres of vines, spread throughout 13 Champagne villages to ensure a regular supply of estate-grown grapes. Most of the vineyards are planted along the southern hills of Épernay, giving maximum sun exposure for the grapes to develop full, complex flavors. As with the wider Champagne region, the most-planted Vollereaux grape varieties are chardonnay, pinot noir, and meunier, all of which thrive in the nutrient-rich limestone soil found in each Vollereaux vineyard.
Sustainably Focused From Vine to Bottle
Striving to protect the Champagne region’s natural beauty, the Vollereaux Champagne house has committed to proactive sustainable practices. In the vineyards, the team engages in mechanical weeding, rather than using harsh chemicals, and has adopted seaweed-based fertilizers, which act as natural stimulants and decrease disease, leading to stronger vines. The team also limits the use of pesticides, preferring to employ the “sexual confusion” method to disrupt insect reproduction and keep vines free of pests.
In the winery, the team uses sulfites conservatively, choosing to let the wine’s natural character take center stage. When it’s time to distribute their lovely Champagnes, the team chooses lighter bottles made of 75% recycled glass, recyclable packaging, and limits the cardboard used in shipments — all efforts that have significantly decreased the carbon footprint of the Vollereaux winery.
Handcrafted at the 200-Year-Old Vollereaux Winery
Like Récoltant Manipulant (Grower Champagne) houses, the Vollereaux Champagne house controls the entire winemaking process. The family members meticulously tend their vines and harvest by hand to ensure only the best grapes make the cut. In the winery, winemaker Franck Vollereaux uses two modern presses and one traditional, 50-year-old press to crush the grapes, before transferring the juice to temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, which help him maintain the Champagne’s signature “casual-chic” style from year to year.
After careful blending (of non-vintage wines) and bottling, all Vollereaux cuvées age in the house’s cavernous, 200-year-old cellars. Non-vintage wines age sur-lie for a minimum of three years, while vintage wines age for at least six years, more than twice the time required by Champagne’s strict appellation rules. Once the all-important second fermentation happens in bottle, the wine is riddled, disgorged, and given a final dosage. Then, it’s packaged on site and shipped to create joyful moments for wine enthusiasts everywhere.
Six Generations of Vollereaux Family Excellence
Armed with the expertise of his ancestors, sixth-generation winemaker Franck Vollereaux leads the Vollereaux Champagne house into the future. As a boy, Franck loved playing in the winery and its surrounding vineyards — so much so, his aunt Marguerite made him a cellarmaster’s apron for his fourth birthday. He learned winemaking from his father, Pierre, and has modernized the winery with state-of-the-art equipment, as well as expanded global distribution.
Franck proudly works alongside his sister, Hélène, who develops and manages the wine tourism programs. Out in the vineyards, their uncle, Jean-Marie, oversees the all-important grape growing, which is done exclusively by family members. Every drop of Champagne Vollereaux is, as their forebears intended, a true family affair.
