Moët was founded in 1743 by Claude Moët, Epernay wine trader. Company started to supply sparkling Champagne wine to French kings, starting from Louis XV. Later, the imperor Napoleon was in the list of the Moët & Chandon honorable clients.

2. Moët client portfolio contained such noble figures as Tsar Alexander II of Russia, Emperor Francis II of Austria, the Duke of Wellington, Madame de Staël, Queen Victoria, and the Prince Royal of Prussia (later to become emperor of Germany) among many more. Sales during the 1820s are believed to have been on average 20,000 bottle annually

3. In 1792, on Claude Moët’s death, grandson Jean-Rémy Moët expanded the business buying the vineyards of the Abbey of Hautvillers, where Benedictine monk Dom Perignon perfected double-fermentation for creating champagne. Thou Dom Perignon is mistakenly promoted as the inventor of the sparkling wine, he didn’t really invent it. He does sucessfully and tirelessly worked on the improvement of the champagne. Contrary to popular belief, Dom Pérignon did not introduce blending to Champagne wines but rather the innovation of blending the grapes prior to sending them to press.

4. A gigantic chandelier made of "flutes" (specially formed champagne glass) welcomes all visitors at Moët & Chandon.

5. Spacious bright waiting hall where visitors wait for their guided tour to the Moët & Chandon cellars.

6. This was a working room of the founder of a company, Claude Moët. The interior of the room is recreated to resemble the original interior of that time.

7. In this room Napoleon I was welcomed in Moët & Chandon.

8. In the meantime, lets go down to the famous cellars of Moët & Chandon.

9. Endless cellars are filled with maturing sparking champagne wine. Every "street" has its own name and every arc has a number as if we were in a small underground town.

10. On the previous picture, in the end of the passage the big barrel can be seen. Here it is, closer. This barrel was found by Napoleon I in Portugal. Napoleon tasted the wine inside the barrel and liked it so much, that brought it all the way to Epernay to present it to Jean-Rémy Moët in 1810. Inside the barrel was perfect portugese porto.

11. Remouage stands. Partly the caves of Moët & Chandon are natural. The chalky land of Champagne has a lot of catacombs.

12. The really important champagne bottles are closed from the visitors by rusty and dusty doors with bug locks.

13. Memorable plates are happens everywhere. This one tells that on 26 July 1807 the Imperor of France Napoleon I visited this cave accompanied by J.R. Moët

14. Every stand and stack of bottles has a plate with strange numbers and letters. This plate encodes which champagne is on this stand, from which year and which region. Except for book keepers nobody is able to say which champagne is it.

15. Most expensive champagne in the world – Dom Perignon. It’s still produced by hand based on the ancient recipe. No modern technology is used to produce this champagne. You can see it still closed by cork instead of bottle cup, and residue removed from the bottle manually to avoid any neck freezing.

16. Only vintage champagne are sold under this brand, and it will be at least 5 years old. This champagne will mature up to eternity and will only get richer and richer taste. Dom Pérignon brand of vintage champagne was introduced in the late 1920s and it’s still recognized as most perfect champagne available, as well as most expensive.

17. Regular bottle of Dom Perignon champagne costs from 200 euro. One should be really happy to open a bottle. =)

18. And this jeroboam (4 standard bottles, or 3 liters) bottle of Dom Perignon vintage 1999 costs no more no less than 2550 euro.

19. Well, I’d probably left you for a minute to enjoy the silence and coolness of Moët & Chandon cellars

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22. Wow, somebody was here =) Presumable, somebody russian =)

23. Here we leave Moët & Chandon cellars and go for champagne degustation!

24. Most popular types of Moët & Chandon champagne is Impérial (brut), Rosé Impérial (rose) and Nectar Impérial (millesime). The motto of Moët & Chandon is "Fruity, Elegant, Seductive".

25. A votre santé!

26. And in the end a small quiz – what do you this is on this picture? Try to guess in comments

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Also check out the post about the champagne creation process

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