Hautvillers is known for the elaborate wrought-iron signs that hang above the doorways of its houses and champagne producers. Each sign is individually commissioned and depicts the trade or history of the property below: a cellar master with a barrel, a bunch of grapes, a monk's habit, or a riddling rack. There are over 130 of them in the village.
Walking the main street and the lanes off it becomes a slow treasure hunt. The signs are old-fashioned craft at a high level — far more interesting than the typical painted wooden plaques found in other Champagne villages. Several local artisans still make new signs to order. The tradition is particular to Hautvillers and gives the village a visual character unlike anywhere else in the Champagne region.