The tradition began with the audacity and expertise of Alcide Monmousseau who founded in 1886, this fine wine merchant house in Montrichard (Loir et Cher), where he discovered one of the most important quarries of regional tuffeau stone. Abandoned after having being used to build the royal castles of the Loire, the quarry was brought back to life by Alcide, who transformed it into magnificent winemaking cellars. It became a network of 15 km of hygienic and solid underground galleries, the constant temperature of which – both summer and winter – is always about 12°C, with a hygrometry perfectly suited to the production and the conservation of wine. At present, the House of Monmousseau counts among the main producers of fine sparkling wines, according to the “Méthode Traditionnelle”, of AOC Touraine, Vouvray, Cremant de Loire, and has also developed a range of highly expressive still wines from Touraine.