G. H. Mumm was originally established in 1827 by the Mumm family whose lineage goes back to the 12th century. They had already established a wine business in Cologne in 1761 with vineyards in the Rhine Valley. Over time, they realized the potential for Champagne and in 1827 established a new branch of the family company in the Champagne region. The company currently owns almost 218 hectares of vines which are rated as Premier Crus. These are mainly sited in the eight most renowned Grands Crus in Champagne: Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay, Avize, Cramant and Mailly-Champagne. These eight Grand Cru vineyards produce 25% of Mumm's needs. The remaining 75% comes from long-term contracts with independent grape growers. They produce multiple cuvées including several under the 'classic' category, as well as a Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs and Cuvée R. Lalou, a prestige champagne which is a blend of 12 Grand Cru vineyards and named after René Lalou, who presided over the house from 1920 to 1973.