Henri Abelé - Abelé 1757

A traditional winery with a new brand image.

Founded in 1757 by Théodore Vander Veken, the history of the prestigious Maison Henri Abelé runs parallel with the history of Champagne itself. In the late XVIIIth century, the winery was the royal purveyor to the Spanish, German and Belgian courts. Nowadays, it is the fifth oldest winery of the Champagne region.

After the end of World War One, Maison Henri Abelé returned to Reims, the company’s hometown, and created a society dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Cathedral. Besides being one of France’s most magnificent monuments, the Cathedral of Reims is the place in which French kings were crowned in the past.

From a winemaking perspective, this French winery was responsible for the introduction of several important innovations, such as the remuage (bottle rotation aimed at consolidating the sediments) and the freezing of the bottle neck to remove the frozen sediment.

Since 1918, the image that decorated the label of the Champagne Brut from Maison Henri Abelé - and which also decorated the other Henri Abelé Champagnes - was the so-called “L’Ange au sourire” (“The Smiling Angel”) or “Sourire de Reims” (“The Smile of Reims.”) The origin of the image was a statue whose restoration was funded by the company, and which became a symbol of the rebirth of the town of Reims after the end of World War One.

A century later, Maison Henri Abelé decided to completely rethink its brand identity, giving each of its Champagnes a new name and a redesigned label. Respect for tradition, however, remains the same as before. Besides the aesthetic modifications, the winery also changed its name to Maison Abelé 1757, a reference to its long and prestigious history.

Year of foundation: 1757
Address: 50 Rue de Sillery
City: Reims
Province:
Zip code: 51100
Country: France
Phone number: 33 326 877 980
www.abele1757.com
Guided visits? Yes
Wine tourism services? No