Caroline Fiot will carry forward the legacy of Frédéric Panaïotis as the new Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart. The handover was officially announced in a statement released on October 2, 2025. Her appointment will take effect on January 1, 2026, following the passing of Panaïotis earlier this year, who had held the position since 2007.
“Transmission and excellence are fundamental values for Maison Ruinart. They are the core of a savoir-faire that has lasted nearly three centuries, constantly evolving and being refined,” explains Frédéric Dufour, President of Maison Ruinart. “We are pleased to welcome Caroline Fiot as our new Chef de Cave. She 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, maintaining the precision and freshness that define our Champagnes.”
With the promising 2025 harvest coming to a close and base wine tastings underway, Caroline Fiot steps into her role as Chef de Cave at Maison Ruinart.
As a true Chardonnay expert, her task will be to shape the emblematic cuvées, preserving the harmony and elegance that lie at the heart of the wines.
As the new Chef de Cave of Ruinart, she will also strengthen the Maison’s commitment to innovation—from vineyard to glass—while reinforcing its dedication to sustainable viticulture.
“It is an honor for me to continue defining the Ruinart style, following in the footsteps of Frédéric Panaïotis,” says Caroline Fiot. “I share a deep respect for the time that characterizes Champagne, and I am proud to become part of the history of a Maison guided by a visionary spirit since 1729.”
Who Is Caroline Fiot, Successor to Frédéric Panaïotis as Chef de Cave of Maison Ruinart
Caroline Fiot, an agricultural engineer and oenologist trained at the Institut Agro in Montpellier (France), began her career working in the vineyards of Saint-Émilion.
This early experience in Bordeaux inspired her to pursue a career in the wine world. She then undertook several international assignments, working at estates in the United States and Vietnam. Upon returning to France, she deepened her scientific training by joining the LVMH Chair at ESSEC Business School.
In 2016, Caroline Fiot joined Maison Ruinart as part of the winemaking team led by Chef de Cave Frédéric Panaïotis. She became a member of the tasting committee and oversaw fermentation processes during harvest.
Alongside these responsibilities, she led several research and development projects, including studies on light and its impact on Ruinart’s Blanc de Blancs, and contributed to the creation of the Second Skin eco-packaging.
Over the following five years, she also worked on adapting viticultural and winemaking practices to climate change, conducted micro-vinification trials to explore varietal adaptation, and contributed to the development of the first edition of the new cuvée Ruinart Blanc Singulier.
After a period at Chandon Argentina in 2020, she returned to Champagne in 2021 to take charge of the Mont Aigu winemaking site at Maison Moët & Chandon. Three years later, she was appointed Head of all winemaking facilities, overseeing the implementation of blends—from must reception to bottling—for the Moët Hennessy Maisons in Épernay.
Today, Caroline Fiot returns to Ruinart as Chef de Cave, entrusted with continuing the distinctive expression of Chardonnay and the pioneering spirit of nearly three centuries of winemaking at the Maison.
