Wine has carried names and reputations for centuries. Even in ancient Rome, amphorae were marked with details about a wine’s origin and destination, while taverns advertised different prices for different grades. Many early wine labels have disappeared, but a number of historic producers are still operating today.

Veuve Clicquot

The Champagne house began in 1772, founded by textile merchant Philippe Clicquot. After his son François died in 1805, his widow, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, took over the business.

During the Napoleonic Wars, European trade was in turmoil, but Madame Clicquot believed Russia remained eager for Champagne. In 1814, she took a major risk by arranging to smuggle nearly 10,000 bottles of the 1811 vintage to St. Petersburg. The shipment helped sustain the business until demand for French luxuries recovered.

Veuve Clicquot is now one of the world’s best-known Champagne houses. Madame Clicquot is also credited with advancing the riddling process, which helps remove sediment from sparkling wine, and with pioneering rosé Champagne made by blending red wine with white Champagne.

Taylor Fladgate

Taylor Fladgate’s roots go back to 1692, when English merchant Job Bearsley arrived in Portugal and began trading in wine. The Bearsley family later entered the Port trade and acquired property near Régua in the Douro Valley.

The business faced danger during the Napoleonic Wars, when French troops threatened British merchants and their holdings in Portugal. Joseph Camo, an American citizen, stayed in Porto to oversee shipments to Britain, helping keep the trade moving until British forces retook the city in 1809.

The company took a step toward its modern identity in 1838, when John Fladgate partnered with Morgan Yeatman. Taylor Fladgate is still known for Vintage Port, alongside a wider range of fortified wines.

Ruinart

Often described as the world’s first Champagne house, Ruinart grew from an idea shared by Benedictine monk Dom Thierry Ruinart with his nephew Nicolas, a textile merchant. By 1735, Nicolas had left the cloth trade to focus on Champagne.

In 1877, the house acquired underground chalk quarries, known as crayères, which provided cool conditions for aging wine. The galleries also offered shelter for bottles and helped the business continue during World War I, when bombardments damaged its properties in Reims.

After World War II, Gérard Ruinart and Bertrand Mure renewed the house’s focus on Chardonnay. That direction led to the 1959 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, named for Dom Thierry. Chardonnay remains central to the brand today.

Moët & Chandon

Claude Moët founded his wine business in 1743, serving French aristocrats and the royal court. His grandson, Jean-Rémy Moët, expanded the company’s reach beyond France and built connections with influential visitors to Épernay, including Napoleon Bonaparte and members of his family.

As the company grew, it began exporting millions of bottles each year. Moët & Chandon later merged with cognac producer Jas Hennessy & Cie in 1971 to form Moët Hennessy. In 1987, the company joined with Louis Vuitton to create LVMH.

Château Lafite Rothschild

Château Lafite Rothschild traces its origins to the 13th century, but its reputation grew under the Ségur family. Jacques de Ségur expanded the vineyards, and his descendant Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur helped make Lafite popular among European nobility. The wine eventually reached the court of Louis XV at Versailles.

After the French Revolution, the estate passed through several owners. Baron James de Rothschild bought it at auction in 1868. The vineyard later weathered phylloxera, fungal disease and the economic disruption of two world wars.

Following World War II, Baron Élie de Rothschild oversaw its restoration and helped build its international presence. Today, Château Lafite Rothschild remains one of Bordeaux’s most prestigious names.

Château Margaux

Château Margaux’s history reaches back to the 12th century, though vineyards were established much later. In the 1500s, Pierre de Lestonnac replaced the estate’s cereal crops with vines.

By the 18th century, its wines had attracted prominent drinkers, including British Prime Minister Robert Walpole and American diplomat Thomas Jefferson. The French Revolution brought confiscation and the execution of owner Élie du Barry. The estate later earned First Growth status in 1855, but mildew, phylloxera and economic troubles took a toll.

Greek-born businessman André Mentzelopoulos bought Château Margaux in 1977 and began restoring it. His daughter Corinne continued the revival after his death in 1980. The estate is now recognized as one of Bordeaux’s leading First Growth producers.

Sandeman

George Sandeman founded his wine business in London in 1790 with £300 borrowed from his father. At a time when merchants often shipped wine in unmarked barrels, he branded his casks with the initials GSC. In 1811, he bought a Port-aging cellar in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.

By the mid-19th century, Sandeman was shipping thousands of pipes of Port each year. The company expanded internationally in the 20th century and continued to develop its range, including the introduction of Porto Branco, a white Port, in 1964.

After becoming a public company in 1952 and changing hands several times, Sandeman was acquired by Portuguese wine producer Sogrape in 2002. It remains a globally recognized Port brand.

Brotherhood

New York’s Brotherhood began with John Jaques, a cobbler and shopkeeper who started selling grapes in 1835. After grape prices fell, he turned to making sacramental wine in 1839. His sons later expanded the operation under the name Jaques Brothers Winery.

The winery survived Prohibition by producing sacramental and medicinal wines under strict regulations. Later owners Francis and Eloise Farrell helped build its tourism business, drawing large numbers of visitors.

A major fire damaged historic buildings in 1999, but restoration followed. By 2005, the winery was upgrading its facilities and equipment while expanding its vineyards and visitor offerings.

Charles Krug

Charles Krug, a journalist turned winemaker, established his Napa Valley winery in 1861. It became an important influence on other local wine producers, but Prohibition left it dormant and in disrepair.

The Mondavi family acquired the property in 1943 and ushered in a new period of growth, introducing techniques such as cold fermentation for white wines and using French oak to age reds. The winery was designated a California historic landmark in 1956 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Still led by the Mondavi family, Charles Krug produces a range of wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gundlach Bundschu

Bavarian immigrant Jacob Gundlach bought 400 acres in Sonoma Valley in 1858. The first full Rhinefarm vintage followed in 1861. His future son-in-law, Charles Bundschu, joined the business in 1868 and helped expand it, including by opening a branch in New York.

An earthquake and fire destroyed the family’s San Francisco home and winery in the early 20th century. Prohibition brought another setback, but owner Walter Bundschu kept the vineyard operating by selling grapes for juice and to other wineries.

The family returned to winemaking decades later. Jim Bundschu helped revive the operation, with a new vintage produced in 1973 and released commercially in 1976. The winery remains family-run.

Schramsberg

German immigrant Jacob Schram bought more than 200 acres on Napa Valley’s Diamond Mountain in 1862. The winery expanded its vineyards, carved hillside caves for storage and was producing more than 20,000 cases annually by the late 19th century. Its early wines included Zinfandel, Riesling and Sauvignon Vert, as well as sparkling wine.

After Schram’s death, his son sold the property in 1912, and the estate fell into relative obscurity. Its revival began in 1965, when Jack and Jamie Davies bought the neglected winery and focused on sparkling wine.

A defining moment came in 1972, when Schramsberg’s 1969 Blanc de Blancs was served at a state dinner in Beijing during President Richard Nixon’s visit to China. The Davies family still runs the winery, which produces vintage sparkling wines as well as its J. Schram range.