During the great war, the Mumm house was heckled. Hermann Mumm, then at the head of the house, is a victim of his German nationality. He was arrested and locked up in Brittany, at Fort Lanvéoc, with other German nationals. He remained there until the armistice in November 1918. During this time, it was Georges Robinet who ran the company, which was then placed in receivership. In Champagne, things are bad, the region is ravaged by the fighting which takes place mainly on its soil. The underground cellars of champagne houses become ammunition warehouses or bomb shelters. The cellars of the Mumm house will then alternately become a school, a chapel and for a time house a divisional staff. After the war, reconstruction began. While some houses like Roederer set off again and took part in this effort by offering in 1926 the creation of a private mansion to house the Music Conservatory and the Mutual Aid Fund. House Mumm Champagne knows a different fate. After going into receivership, the company is sold by auction by the state. The Mumm family tried to reclaim the brand and registered it in Switzerland and Germany, but after several lawsuits, they had to resolve to abandon the fruits of their years of labor. Georges Robinet takes over the helm of Mumm, helped by René Lalou, who, from Paris, works to develop the brand.
Dazzling growth
Thanks to progress in viticulture and a strong desire to improve the range in quality, the Mumm house is resuming its progress and development. In particular, the house will put all of its energy into promoting and installing Cordon Rouge Mumm, which then becomes the almost official drink of the Roaring Twenties, and will be served at all the big tables, during all the major events. Under the leadership of René Lalou, the brand is growing incredibly. The man would preside over the fate of the brand until 1973. A period interrupted only by World War II, a period during which Mumm returned to German for a short time, and returned to the hands of the Mumm family. From 1945, the house returned to the French flag.
The world for borders
In 1955, the Canadian company Seagram, world leader in the alcohol trade, took a stake in Mumm, and thus gave the house the opportunity to expand even further beyond the borders of France. The group put the house on the Perrier-Jouët house in 1959. The house also began to communicate with slogans "Mumm for Mum" or "Mumm's the world for champagne". Communication supported by a strong visual identity. The red cordon is very visual, very identifiable which is available on all media and even becomes an art accessory that can be found on the big screen, in the theater, or even in comics. A foray into the world of art which will be symbolized by the strong friendship that will be created between René Lalou and the Japanese painter Tsuguharu Foujita. The rose he designed for the house adorned the ruff of Mumm brut rosé for a long time.
Mumm and sport
Mumm also developed his communication towards the world of sport. Horseriding first of all, a avowed passion of Georges Hermann, then towards extreme races, explorations and adventures. And especially nautical adventures such as the Admiral's Cup or polar expeditions. The Mumm brand gives its name to famous sailboats such as the Mumm 30 and the Mumm 36. Motorsport is also one of the favorite playgrounds of the red ribbon brand. All Formula One victories are celebrated with a Cordon Rouge magnum and a shower of bubbles. A tradition is born in Reims and which has lasted for several decades already. Design and modernity are also at the heart of the brand's genes. The designer Patrick Jouin redesigned the champagne bucket and the champagne saber for the brand. Before him, it was the designers Garouste and Bonetti who imagined two original flutes, a revisited version of a 19th century flute. Finally, more recently, the house has drawn closer to the world of gastronomy by creating legendary menus, historical menus reinterpreted by great chefs.
A turbulent decade
During the 90s, Mumm is a bit of a walk, changing hands several times. From the Hicks, Muse, Tate & First investment fund the house was transferred to Allied Domecq in 2000 which intends to give the house a boost and make it a quirky and strong brand. Communication is modernized, around the slogan "maxiMUMM" and the dressings of the cuvées have been reviewed for the first time since 1876. The range is also dusted off, with niche cuvées making their appearance. The Mumm de Cramant, a blanc de blancs grand cru, the Mumm de Verzenay, a blanc de noirs grand cru, and the Brut Selection, a cuvée made only from grapes coming from terroirs classified as grand cru, boost the range.
