Reims

Reims has been the trading and cellar hub of Champagne since the Champagne Houses began moving their operations there in the late 18th century. The Union des Maisons de Champagne lists a working vineyard within the commune of Reims itself, 54.90 hectares farmed by 37 operators, planted mostly to Chardonnay (20.40 ha), Meunier (18.70 ha) and Pinot Noir (15.80 ha), with some of those vines forming part of the holdings of the Houses Lanson and Thienot. Reims is also the registered seat of the Union des Maisons de Champagne trade body itself, founded in 1882 and based at 1 rue Marie Stuart in the city.

• 54.90 hectares under vine within the commune of Reims (Union des Maisons de Champagne)
• 37 agricultural operators farm those vines
• Grape mix: 20.40 ha Chardonnay, 18.70 ha Meunier, 15.80 ha Pinot Noir
• Union des Maisons de Champagne, founded 1882, is headquartered in Reims

Reims Cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims, dates to 1211 and is, in its own right, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to the Union des Maisons de Champagne. From the late 18th century the Champagne Houses began relocating away from the town centre toward Saint-Nicaise Hill, drawn by the space to expand and by the crayeres beneath it, which offered ideal, stable conditions for ageing wine. Ruinart made that move first, in 1768, followed over time by Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Charles Heidsieck, Taittinger and Martel, according to the official Mission Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne. The city was heavily damaged in the First World War, and its Champagne Houses played a documented role in its reconstruction: Joseph Krug proposed the Cite-jardin du Chemin-Vert garden-city project in 1919, the House of Louis Roederer gifted the Hotel de la Mutualite to the town in 1926, and American benefactor Andrew Carnegie funded the Carnegie Library, opened in 1928. Chalk cellar walls beneath the Houses also carry drawings, inscriptions and graffiti left by workers during the 1914-1918 war, preserved as part of the UNESCO-listed heritage, per the Union des Maisons de Champagne.

• Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral (1211) is its own UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Ruinart was first to move to Saint-Nicaise Hill, in 1768
• Joseph Krug proposed the Cite-jardin du Chemin-Vert garden city in 1919 after WWI damage to Reims
• Louis Roederer gifted the Hotel de la Mutualite to the city of Reims in 1926

On 4 July 2015, the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee, meeting in Bonn, added the "Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars" to the UNESCO World Heritage List under the "organically evolved living cultural landscapes" category, according to Comite Champagne. The listing is built from three component ensembles: the historic hillside vineyards around Mareuil-sur-Ay, the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, and Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims. Comite Champagne states there are 370 crayeres beneath Saint-Nicaise Hill, covering a distance of 25km, maintaining a year-round temperature of 10-12 degrees Celsius and humidity of 90-100 percent. The official Mission Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne, which manages the property and is itself based in Reims, describes the crayeres as former underground chalk quarries first worked from the 10th century onward, punctuated by ventilation shafts resembling inverted funnels up to 35 metres high and connected by a network of 57km of subterranean galleries beneath Saint-Nicaise Hill. The Hill also includes the Parc de Champagne, created by the House of Pommery as a workers' leisure facility, and the Cite-jardin du Chemin Vert garden city.

• Inscribed 4 July 2015 under UNESCO's "organically evolved living cultural landscapes" category
• 370 crayeres beneath Saint-Nicaise Hill span 25km, per Comite Champagne
• Mission Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne describes a 57km gallery network with ventilation shafts up to 35m high
• Cellar temperature holds at 10-12 degrees Celsius with 90-100 percent humidity

The Union des Maisons de Champagne's official House directory lists the following as headquartered in Reims: Veuve Clicquot, 12 rue du Temple, founded 1772; Pommery, 5 Place du General Gouraud, founded 1836; Taittinger, 9 place Saint Nicaise, founded 1932; Ruinart, 4 rue des Crayeres, founded 1729; Vranken, Villa Demoiselle, 56 boulevard Henry Vasnier, founded 1976; Louis Roederer, 21 boulevard Lundy, founded 1776; Charles Heidsieck, 12 allee du Vignoble, founded 1851; Lanson, 66 rue de Courlancy, founded 1760; Thienot, 14 rue des Moissons, founded 1985; and Krug, 5 rue Coquebert, founded 1843. G.H. Martel & Co is also identified as a Reims Champagne House by the official Mission Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne. The House of Mumm built cellars and offices near the Reims town hall in 1898, a building that served as the Union des Maisons de Champagne's own headquarters from 1907 to 1914, according to the Union des Maisons de Champagne.

• Veuve Clicquot (1772), Ruinart (1729) and Pommery (1836) all list Reims addresses with the Union des Maisons de Champagne
• Louis Roederer (1776), Charles Heidsieck (1851) and Krug (1843) are also headquartered in Reims per the Union des Maisons de Champagne directory
• Lanson (1760), Thienot (1985), Vranken (1976) and G.H. Martel & Co are additional Reims-based Houses
• Mumm's 1898 cellars and offices in Reims served as the Union des Maisons de Champagne's headquarters from 1907 to 1914

The INAO-homologated cahier des charges for the Champagne appellation names a defined list of Marne communes that may append the complementary mentions "grand cru" and "premier cru" to the appellation name, by virtue of local, loyal and constant usage. The commune of Reims does not appear on either list. Communes named in the cahier des charges close to Reims, such as Jouy-les-Reims and Pargny-les-Reims, are separate communes from Reims itself and carry the "premier cru" mention; Reims proper carries neither mention under the current specification.

• Reims is not among the communes eligible for the "grand cru" complementary mention under the Champagne cahier des charges
• Reims is not among the communes eligible for the "premier cru" complementary mention under the Champagne cahier des charges
• Jouy-les-Reims and Pargny-les-Reims are distinct, separately classified communes

Comite Champagne (champagne.fr), "Champagne, a UNESCO World Heritage site": https://www.champagne.fr/en/visit-champagne/life-in-champagne/champagne-world-heritage. Mission Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne, "Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims": https://www.champagne-patrimoinemondial.org/en/decouvrir/saint-nicaise-hill-reims. Union des Maisons de Champagne, "Reims" village page: https://maisons-champagne.com/en/village/reims. Union des Maisons de Champagne, "UMC": https://maisons-champagne.com/en/professional/umc/. Union des Maisons de Champagne, House pages for Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Taittinger, Ruinart, Vranken, Louis Roederer, Charles Heidsieck, Lanson, Thienot and Krug: https://maisons-champagne.com/en/house/. Comite Champagne, cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine controlee "Champagne" (homologated 25 January 2024): https://www.champagne.fr/system/files/2024-03/Cahier_des_charges_appellation.pdf. Last verified 2026-09-17.