Wine with Leslie Williams: Three fresh fizzes to celebrate summer

Champagne once had a terrible reputation for pesticide and herbicide use but thankfully that's been changing

There are still problems with over-spraying by less scrupulous growers but all Moët’s own vineyards are now sustainably managed with no herbicides. Picture: iStock

Can the biggest be the best? Rarely, but being the biggest gives you power, the power to influence and to effect change for the good of your industry. Torres is successfully doing it in Spain and Moët et Chandon are not far behind.

Moët was established in 1743 by Claude Moët, a son-in-law’s Chandon name was added to the brand name in 1833. The brand just grew and grew and they currently own 1300ha of Champagne vineyards, 4% of the AOP, the largest holding of any house, not to mention the 4000ha of grapes they buy in.