Bollinger, with roots in Champagne dating back to 1585, was officially founded on February 6, 1829, in Aÿ by Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Levieux Renaudin, and Jacques Bollinger. Settling at 16 rue Jules Lobet in 1750, the Villermont family engaged in winemaking before joining forces with the Bollinger family.
Bollinger is renowned for its meticulous winemaking process. The winery ferments its wines in oak barrels, primarily using the first pressing, the cuvée, and sells the second pressings, the tailles. It operates two pressing houses in Louvois and Mareuil sur Aÿ. First fermentation is done cru by cru and variety by variety, with unsuitable wines vinified in vats. Most Bollinger Champagnes undergo malolactic fermentation with traditional yeast. Vintage wines, including Grande Année, are fermented in small oak barrels sorted by origin and variety, while non-vintage wines use both oak and stainless steel and are lightly filtered.
