Ackerman was founded in 1811 and this year celebrates its bicentenary. It was the first of the Saumur sparkling wine houses to be established. During this year's Salon des Vins Loire the company launched a book that covers the company's history written by Goeffrey Ratouis.
Further details when I have had a chance to read the book.
Update: 23.20
Got well stuck into this on the QueasyJet flight to Lisbon this evening. Clear that while this might be the bicentennary of the association between Jean-Baptiste Ackerman and Jean-Pierre Laurance, it is certainly not the bicentennary of sparkling wine from Ackerman. Ratouis concludes that Jean-Baptiste was not making sparkling wine in commercial quantities until 1845, although Ackerman can have the distinction of being the first sparkling wine house of Saumur.
