Moet et Chandon
Moet et Chandon can trace its history back to 1743 when it was established in Epernay by Claude Moet, a wine trader descended from an old family resident in the Champagne region since the 14th century. In the company's archives can be seen an invoice of 1743 when Moet shipped Champagne to Paris for t he first time. The real rise of Champagne was in the reign of Louis XV and became a favorite for romantic suppers for the king and his favorites, including Madame de Pompadour. Moet et Chandon expanded and its Champagne was shipped to new markets: From 1750 to England, then Germany, Spain, Russia, America, Poland, and Bohemia in 1791
In 1794 Claude Moet bought the walls and the vineyards of the former Abbey of Hautvillers, the same Abbey where Dom Perignon founded the method for producing Champagne. Hautvillers is a charming flower-filled wine village with sweeping views of the Marne River valley, and the Abbey has now been converted into a museum describing the process of making Champagne.
Hautvillers, was founded in 658 and is known as being the cradle of Champagne. At the age of 28 years old Dom Perignon was appointed cellar master at the Abbey of Hautvillers. He is often attributed with the invention of Champagne, even if there are earlier recorded instances of the production of sparkling wines by the Champagne method. Dom Perignon is the prestige cuvée of the giant Moët et Chandon Champagne house. It is named after the famous monk, who was the most important early influence in the development of Champagne into the sparkling wine we know today. It was not the first Champagne to use his name, as early in the last century small proprietaire-recoltants (farmer-growers) at Hautvillers, employed it for their wine. Unfortunately for them they did not register the name, Dom Perignon, as a trademark.
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