Ruinart Logo PNG
Details of the Ruinart logo connect the champagne brand’s appearance and distribution to the King of France’s decree. The emblem immerses the buyer in history, and each element offers insight into old recipes and the collection’s long-term heritage.
Meaning and History
The Ruinart family represented the Champagne region’s bourgeoisie and was mainly involved in the textile trade. But the Benedictine monk Dom Thierry Ruinart noticed the growing popularity of sparkling wine among the aristocracy, so he advised moving away from the original business, focusing on winemaking, and then giving up selling fabrics altogether. He was guided by instinct.
He passed the idea on to his nephew, Nicolas Ruinart, who eventually adopted it when conditions were favorable. In 1728, King Louis XV, by special decree, allowed the transport of wine not in barrels, as before, but in bottles. This made it possible to deliver it even to distant markets. At first, customers offered Champagne wines as business gifts when buying cloth.
In the autumn of 1729, the wine house Ruinart began operations, and in 1730 it sent its first shipment. Baskets of bottles, packed 50-100 at a time, were transported along with bales of cloth. But in 1735, they completely shifted away from cloth, switching to the wine business because of champagne’s huge success. Then Claude (Nicolas’s son) moved the office, production facilities, and cellars to Reims, where the company is now located. The entrepreneur recognized the importance of chalk cellars for aging wine, so he bought them. It happened in 1768.
The firm now owns the largest cellars in the Champagne region, with a depth of 38m and a length of 8km. The Ruinart family also had a commercial flair for art. It quickly caught the aristocracy’s refined taste and commissioned advertising posters from the famous artists Alphonse Mucha and Louis Tozen. Later, they applied a similar approach to the corks: India Mahdavi, Christian Biecher, Patricia Urquiola, and Maarten Baas designed them.
Rare antique 18th-century glass champagne containers dictated the bottle’s shape. They were always decorated with the wine house’s heraldic coat of arms in golden tones to match the sparkling contents. The design changed only once, demonstrating the brand’s commitment to development and perfection. At the same time, Ruinart’s brand identity has always emphasized its historical heritage.
What is Ruinart?
This is the oldest champagne house in the Champagne region, located in Reims. It is known for its unique production method, which predominantly uses Chardonnay grapes. Millions of bottles are aged under ideal conditions in ancient chalk cellars that reach depths of up to 38 meters. Among the most esteemed cuvées in the collection are the renowned Blanc de Blancs, refined rosé, and the exclusive Dom series. A distinctive feature of the production is the use of only the first pressing of the grapes (cuvée), which imparts elegance and refinement to the aroma, along with extended aging.
Old
The iconic logo features the main highlight: the name in the 18th-century Gothic style. The old font embodies the charm of the Middle Ages: needle-pointed ends, a clear sequence, exquisite proportion, austerity, and, at the same time, otherworldly unconventionality. Each letter has oblique cuts, geometric curves, and short, thin lines connecting the wide feet. Overall, the typeface is inline, bold, and aristocratic.
The graphic element is an ancient coat of arms: two lions holding a shield bearing a wild rose, stars, and a heart. A large crown surmounts them. This attribute of monarchic power underlines the royal status of sparkling wines. At the top is the year the brand was founded. Below is the inscription “The first established champagne house.”
New
The design agency Pierre Kertz created the renewal of the famous French wine house Ruinart’s logo. Its task was to revive the emblem’s individuality and adapt it to modern trends. With several modifications, the designers conveyed the historical roots of the oldest champagne producer. They completely changed the bottom part: they made the letters clearer, increased their size, and used a new phrase instead of the old one, “La plus ancienne maison de champagne.”
The designers simplified the upper part by removing minor details that obscured the coat of arms. The pentagonal shield became clearer, and the lions and crown were reduced. The company’s founding year, which sat at the top of the figure, was moved down, creating a special niche between the two strips. Although the name is largely preserved, some letters have less slant, and the serifs are much sharper.
Font and Colors
The modern Ruinart logo is lighter than the old one. According to the developers’ concept, it reflects the effulgence of champagne, symbolizes the brilliance of gold, and embodies aristocratic sophistication. During modernization, the most important change was removing the date, which had been superimposed on the coat of arms. The designers moved it down and stretched it horizontally, whereas previously, it was arched.
The emblem uses a custom typeface, Ruinart Gothic. It is a Latinized interpretation of the Gothic style, reflecting refinement and delicacy. Now, a soft color scheme is used – dusty gilding. It also emphasizes the champagne’s aristocratic and premium status. Previously, the logo was dominated by gold and brown.