Caroline Fiot appointed cellar master at Maison Ruinart

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 02 October, 2025

Caroline Fiot has been announced as the new cellar master of Maison Ruinart.

She succeeds Frédéric Panaïotis, who had held the role since 2007 but passed away earlier this year.

She will be gradually joining the Maison as of today, officially assuming the role of cellar master on 1 January 2026.

Read more: Enotria named importer for Mendoza’s Catena Zapata

Frédéric Dufour, president, Maison Ruinart, commented: “Transmission and excellence are core values at Maison Ruinart. They uphold a savoir-faire nearly three centuries old, which continuously evolves and perfects itself. We are delighted to welcome Caroline Fiot as our new Cellar Master. She was trained alongside Frédéric Panaïotis for nearly a decade and has been a key member of our tasting committee since 2016. She will now continue the work of her predecessor, upholding the precision and freshness that define our champagnes.”

Fiot is an agricultural engineer and oenologist educated at Institut Agro in Montpellier (France), who began her career working in the vinyeards of Saint-Émilion.

She joined Maison Ruinart in 2016 as part of the winemaking team led by her predecessor, taking on roles as part of the tasting committee and overseeing fermentation during harvest.

Alongside this, she led R&D projects including studies on lightstrike and its impact on Ruinart Blanc de Blancs.

After spending some time working in Argentina, and some time as head of all winemaking facilities for the Mont Aigu site at Maison Moët & Chandon, she has now returned to Maison Ruinart.

Fiot said: “It is a profound honour to continue shaping the Ruinart style, following in the footsteps of Frédéric Panaïotis. I share Champagne’s deep-rooted respect for time, and I’m proud to take my place in the history of a Maison guided by a visionary spirit since 1729.”

Maison Ruinart was the first formal Champagne house in the world, and is famous for its Blanc de Blancs, made exclusively with Chardonnay.

As an expert in Chardonnay, Fiot is expected to shape Ruinart’s cuvées while preserving the core of the Ruinart style.

She will also aim to strengthen its commitment to sustainable viticulture and continue its dedication to innovation at all levels of production.

Printer friendly version