Moet and Chandon
Moët and Chandon (Moet et Chandon) is a French winery and co-owner of the luxury goods company Moët-Hennessy Louis Vuitton. The company is one of the world's largest champagne producers and a prominent champagne house. The company holds a Royal Warrant to supply champagne to Queen Elizabeth II. Today owns more than 1,500 acres (6.0km²) of vineyards, and annually produces more than 2,000,000 cases of champagne.
1743 Moet and Chandon began as Moët et Cie (Moet and Co) and was founded by Claude Moet, a wine trader, in Champagne, France. Soon after its foundation, and after son Claude-Louis joined Moët and Co, the winery's clientele included nobles and aristocrats.
1750 The company began business Made de Pompadour. She supplied the Royal Court at Compiegne with Moet's champagne. This was also the year in which Moet began to establish business in Germany, Spain, Eastern Europe and colonial British America.
1792 Claude Moët died and his grandson Jean-Rémy Moët assumed control of the company and expanded the business buying the vineyards of the Abbey of Hautvillers — where Benedictine monk Dom Perignon perfected double-fermentation for creating champagne.
1802 Jean-Remy became mayor of Epernay.
1804 The company attracted a loyal international following after it initiated an account with Napoleon I of France.
1820s Sales are believed to have been on average 20,000 bottle annually.
1832 Jean-Rémy retired and left the company in the hands of his son Victor Moët and son-in-law Pierre-Gabriel Chandon de Briailles. The name was officially changed to Moet and Chandon.
1842 Moet marketed its first vintage champagne.
1860s The company's best selling brand, Brut Imperial was introduced.
1872 Sales reported to have been at 2,000,000 bottles by this time.
1880 Sales increased to at least 2,500,000 bottles.
1920s The company introduced the Dom Perignon brand of vintage champagne.
1950s Company came under the leadership of Count Robert-Jean de Vogue, a prominent figure in wine purchasing.
1962 Company became the first champagne house to be listed on the French stock market.
1970 Another wine house, Mercier, was taken over.
1971 Company merged with James Hennessy and Co to create Moet-Hennessy.
1973 The company launched Domaine Chandon, a winery subsidiary in California.
1987 The company undertook its final merger; with Louis Vuitton, a prominent luxury goods purveyor whose goods remain renown as status symbols. This final merger gave birth to the largest luxury group in the world, Moët-Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH).
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Wikipedia
- Trademarked. A History of Well-Known Brands - from Aertex to Wright's Coal Tar by David Newton. Pub: Sutton Publishing 2008 ISBN 978-0-7509-4590-5