Joseph-Jacob-Placide Bollinger (1803-1884), a nobleman from the Kingdom of Württemberg, joined the Chamapgner company Müller-Ruinart in 1822. He was extremely successful as a commercial agent in Germany until 1829. In that year, he and two partners founded the famous champagne house in Aÿ near the city of Reims, which was then known as Renaudin-Bollinger. The Count and Admiral Athanase-Louis-Emmanuel de Villermont (1763-1840) was involved in the wine trade and contributed extensive vineyard property. The third was Paul Renaudin, who had also previously worked for Müller-Ruinart as a sales representative, but who left the young company shortly afterwards. Since the count did not want to be mentioned by name, the company was henceforth called Bollinger. He now called himself Jacques Bollinger and married Louise-Charlotte de Villermont, the Count's daughter, in 1837. As early as 1865, champagne was exported to England and in 1884 the house became the purveyor to the court of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) and was awarded the "Royal Warrant".
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