The Champagne House

Since 1921, Maison Collet has been creating distinctive champagnes that appeal to a clientele of demanding wine connoisseurs in search of authentic, elegant and refined champagnes. Established in Aÿ, in the heart of the Champagne region, Maison Collet uses primarily Premier and Grand Crus in its wines in order to reflect the diversity of the Champagne terroirs. Champagne Collet is a gastronomic wine and every cuvée has been created to complement various fine dining and fine drinking experiences, whether served as an aperitif or paired with the most sophisticated of dishes.

History

Commited to gaining recognition for their Terroir.

After the Champagne Riots in 1911, 6,000 wine growers banded together with the objective of guaranteeing the origins of the grapes used in the production of champagne. The village of Aÿ was involved in the riots. The headquarters of the Champagne houses suspected of fraud were set alight and this became the symbol of the social movement. The Government deployed over 4,000 troops to the region to contain the riots. On 11 February 1911, the first law was approved making it mandatory to display the statement ‘Vins originaires de la Champagne Viticole’ (wines originating from the Champagne wine region) on all champagne bottle labels which progressively led to several further laws and the creation of the Champagne AOC in 1936.

The wine growers’ quest to gain recognition for their terroir led to the establishment of the oldest Champagne Producers Union in 1921. This union is now based in the Grand Cru village of Aÿ and is at the origins of Champagne Collet.

This paved the way for the recognition of the unique savoir-faire of the wine growers of Champagne throughout the world.

Raoul Collet became Director of Champagne Collet in 1928. At the time he was a wine producer in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and had created his eponymous brand in 1921. Over his lifetime (1896-1960), he dedicated 30 years’ work to Maison Collet, which he took to the most important French and international exhibitions. He was the instigator of property investments and was behind the brand’s first advertising campaigns. During his tenure as director, he lived in the Villa Collet with his family.

This spirit of the “Roaring Twenties” lives on at Maison Collet today and is reflected in its rich heritage and its elegant, Art Deco-inspired visual identity. The elegant transparency of the Champagne Collet labels gives the brand a contemporary feel and is an expression of the brand’s sincerity and taste for innovation. This design universe has been applied to all the Champagne House’s creations, from the champagnes’ packaging, gift boxes and cases, to the decor of Villa Collet, our “brand home”.

Villa Collet

Villa Collet takes visitors on a cultural and artistic journey back to the 1920s and the Art-Deco period. Much more than just a museum, it aims to evoke an era, a lifestyle and a state of mind. Champagne and the Arts are intrinsically linked in this polymorphic and diverse space for history, culture and events.

On the Villa’s first floor, contemporary artists have been given free rein to offer us their artistic interpretation of the themes associated with the world of Champagne Collet and puts the evolution of its codes over the past century into perspective.