The Champagne House "Champagne Deutz" was founded in 1838 by the two Germans in Aÿ William Guillaume Deutz (1809-1884) and Peter-Joseph-Hubert Geldermann (1810-1869). Deutz had learned the trade at the Bollinger Champagne House in Aÿ and had met his partner who was also employed there (as a salesman). In the late 1860s, René Deutz and Alfred Geldermann inherited the company from their fathers. Later Alfred Geldermann married Marie Deutz, René Deutz's sister, thus strengthening the bond between them. In 1882 Deutz was one of the founding members of the "Syndicat des Grandes Marques". Around 1900 it supplied European royal and imperial houses as well as South American state chancelleries. At the beginning of the 20th century a branch was founded in the Alsatian town of Hagenau, which was then moved to Breisach am Rhein (Baden) in 1924 under the name "Sektkellerei Deutz & Geldermann". In 1927, Deutz & Geldermann was converted into a public limited company. In 1988 the company was split into a champagne (Champagne Deutz) and a sparkling wine producer (Badische Geldermann Privat-Sektkellerei). The founder's daughter Marie Deutz had married a Renè Lallier, the Lallier family took over the Geldermann part.
Today, 190 hectares of grapes are processed, of which 46 hectares are owned by the company. Deutz has maintained relationships with the grape suppliers for generations. The areas are located within a radius of 30 km around the Grand Cru community of Aÿ. Three quarters of the grapes processed come from Grand Cru and Premier Cru communities. The two cuvées de prestige of the house are "William Deutz"(Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay) and the "Amour de Deutz", created in 1993 and made from Chardonnay. The largest share of production, around 75%, is from the "Brut Classic" brand (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay). Further products are the "Rosé" created in 2006 with an unusually high Chardonnay content and "Rosé Brut", since 2012 the vintage cuvée "Blanc de Blancs", as well as the pure Pinot Noir "Hommage" from the two top plots "Le Meurtet" and "La Cote Galiciere". The product range comprises a total of 14 cuvées from Extra Brut to Demi-Sec. Since 1967, the Delas Frères estate has also been owned by Champagne Deutz, with vineyards in the Côte Rôtie, Hermitage and Condrieu areas of the Rhône.
Picture left: Par G.Garitan - Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Picture right: Par Arnaud 25 - Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
