Bollinger, Champagne house in Aÿ, France
The champagne house Bollinger is located in Aÿ in northeastern France and owns vineyards across several villages of the Champagne region. The cellars extend over two levels underground and provide space for the long aging period of wines in bottles.
Jacques Joseph Placide Bollinger and Paul Renaudin founded the house in 1829 together with Athanase de Villermont, who left a few years later. Madame Lily Bollinger took over management after the Second World War and expanded the reputation of the company worldwide.
The Bollinger family has managed the company since its foundation and continues to rely on handcraft methods throughout the production process. Visitors during a guided tour often see cellar workers manually riddling and turning bottles according to traditional methods.
Tours through the facility usually last between one and two hours and require advance booking. The underground passages can be cool, so a light jacket is advisable even in summer.
The cellar still holds around 500,000 bottles that are sealed by hand with natural corks and must be turned annually. Some vintages mature for more than ten years underground before they are released for sale.
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