Success often has its origins in the roots of a brand, which is why I am going to take stock of the history of the very successful Mumm champagne house and see (in the second part) how this can explain). The Mumm house has always symbolized the alliance of Champagne terroirs, combining the exuberance of certain lands with the finesse of great Chardonnays and the liveliness of beautiful terroirs. It was around 1620 that champagne asserted itself and froze its founding style. Like other houses, it was Germans who gave birth to the Mumm house: G. Heuser and Friedrich Giesler, two businessmen who found an agreement with 3 brothers (Jacobus, Gottlieb and Philipp Mumm) coming from the Prussian upper middle class who made his fortune in wine and which had already established itself in France through a vineyard located in the Rhine. Together, in 1827 they founded the company P. A. Mumm Giesler et Compagnie. The initials honoring the father of the Mumm brothers, Peter Arnold.
The best Champagne, only the best
The team thus formed decided to settle down in Reims, and began to sign contracts with the winegrowers of the region to buy the best grapes of Champagne. And it is no surprise that they are moving towards terroirs classified as grand cru, with Avize, Cramant and the villages of the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims in their sights. A requirement for quality which arises at the same time as the Mumm house and which allows the 5 partners to claim to sell their cuvées above the market price. The Mumm house makes it a point of honor to expand abroad and very quickly targets the German market naturally, but also towards the Russian, Polish and British markets. An orientation so strong that France is almost a poor relation. Very quickly, the Mumm family got their hands on their hands and ousted their two partners, G. Heuser and Friedrich Giesler. In 1852, the company was split into two to see the birth of the company Jules Mumm on one side and the company G. H. Mumm and C ° on the other. The first will close its doors at the start of the 20th century, while the second will see the bright future that we are going to tell you about.
And the famous Cordon Rouge is born
It was at the end of the 18th century that a bright idea was born, an idea that came from one of the representatives of the brand who suggested to the boss of the company, Georges Hermann von Mumm, to adorn his bottles with the ribbon. red of the Legion of Honor. This is how the Cordon Rouge cuvée was born, with a silk ribbon wrapped around the neck of the bottle. A ribbon that will be replaced a few years later by a large red band printed on the label. In 1876, the name of the cuvée as well as the label were filed with the Commercial Court of Reims. A green variation will appear at the beginning of the 20th century to differentiate between off-dry and dry champagnes. There was success, and Cordon Rouge quickly became the best-selling champagne in the USA. The tidal wave did not spare the royal courts, and those of England, Norway, Belgium, Prussia, Austria-Hungary, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands or even Spain , become unconditional followers of Cordon Rouge Mumm ... sometimes instead of other houses like Pommery.
Conquering the planet
Europe and the United States are not enough for Georges Hermann von Mumm who wants his brand to be exported to the four corners of the globe. And for that he is ready to do anything, even to modify the taste of his star cuvée to adapt it to local tastes. Thus, depending on the place where it is sold, the dosage of Cordon Rouge Mumm differs, very sweet in Russia, and low in dosage in the British. A method that bore fruit and in 1902, the boss of the house can be proud of managing the first brand of champagne in the world. Mumm produced around 3 million bottles per year at that time!
An exceptional terroir
Georges Hermann von Mumm quickly understood that if he wanted to conquer the world, he would absolutely have to master his supplies and therefore build up a vineyard worthy of the name, a vineyard capable of supplying the cellar master with quality grapes ... amount. In 1910, the house owned some fifty hectares located in the most beautiful terroirs of the region. A heritage supplemented by around twenty presses which allow the house to press its grapes very quickly and to give its vintages a beautiful freshness. The house is capable of disgorging and muzzling 40,000 collars per day. Impressive logistics, and envied, at the time. Logistics supported by a real marketing approach. Mumm associates its image with competitions and sporting achievements. This is how the Prix des Aéronats was born in 1909, which rewards the finest achievements. to be continued !