MOëT ET CHANDON

'Moët & Chandon' (IPA: [moˈæt‿e ʃɑ̃ˈdɔ̃]) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of champagne and one of the best known champagne houses in the world. Founded in 1743, the house now owns over 1,500 acres (6 km²) of vineyards and annually produces over 2,000,000 cases of champagne. In 1962 it became the first champagne house to be listed on the French stockmarket. ^[1]

Contents

History

References

See also

External links

History

The company dates to 1743 when Claude Moët began shipping wines from the Champagne region of France to Paris. The reign of Louis XV coincided with an increased demand for sparkling wine. Moët expanded rapidly and by the end of the eighteenth century was exporting the drink all over Europe and to the United States. Claude's grandson Jean-Remy Moët took the house to international prominence catering to such elite clientele as Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte. Chandon was added to the company name when Jean-Remy Moët turned over half the company to his son-in-law Pierre-Gabriel Chandon de Briailles in 1832, and half to his son Victor Moët.
Following the introduction of the concept of a vintage champagne in 1840, Moët marketed its first vintage in 1842. Their best-selling brand, Brut Imperial was introduced in the 1860s. Their best known label, Dom Perignon, is named for the Benedictine monk remembered in legend as the "Father of Champagne". Moët & Chandon merged with Hennessy Cognac in 1971 and with Louis Vuitton in 1987 to become LVMH-Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the largest luxury group in the world, netting over 16 billion euros in fiscal 2004. Moët & Chandon holds a Royal Warrant as supplier of champagne to Queen Elizabeth II. ^[2]

In 2006, Moët et Chandon Brut Impérial issued an extremely limited bottling of its champagne named "Be Fabulous", a special release of its original bottle with decorative Swarovski crystals, marking the elegance of Moët et Chandon. This bottle has been sold in auctions for more than $2000 due to its rarity and limited quantity.
==Domaine Chandon==
In 1973, the then Moët-Hennessy company founded Domaine Chandon, an outpost winery in the Carneros region of Napa Valley. It was the first French-owned sparkling wine venture in the United States. The restaurant "Etoile" is situated at the winery.
Domaine Chandon in Australia was established in 1986 at Green Point, Victoria.

References

1. K. Gargett, P. Forrestal, & C. Fallis ''The Encyclopedic Atlas of Wine'' pg 166 Global Book Publishing 2004 ISBN 1740480503
2. http://www.royalwarrant.org/

Queen song "killer Queen"
first few lyrics are:"she keeps a Moet & chandon in her pretty cabinet...."

See also

★ List of champagne producers

★ French wine

★ Champagne Riots of 1911

External links

★ Official site

★ Moët for linguists

★ Official site of Domaine Chandon California

★ Domaine Chandon Australia (Green Point Wines)