HAUTVILLERS, France — Moët Hennessy marked the end of its grape harvest by inviting a handful of guests, including actress Katie Holmes and chef Alain Ducasse, to pick the last remaining grapes on Saturday at its Dom Pérignon vineyard in Hautvillers in the heart of France’s Champagne region.
Philippe Schauss, chief executive officer of the wines and spirits division of luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, greeted the group of journalists and influencers on a terrace overlooking acres of rolling vineyards and flanked by the historic Abbey of Hautvillers, where Dom Pérignon — the monk who pioneered several key winemaking techniques — is buried.
“The quality is exceptionally good this year,” Schauss said. “The climate was particularly good in the sense that it was very warm, it was relatively dry — not too dry.”
Philippe Schauss, chief executive officer of the wines and spirits division of luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, greeted the group of journalists and influencers on a terrace overlooking acres of rolling vineyards and flanked by the historic Abbey of Hautvillers, where Dom Pérignon — the monk who pioneered several key winemaking techniques — is buried.
“The quality is exceptionally good this year,” Schauss said. “The climate was particularly good in the sense that it was very warm, it was relatively dry — not too dry.”
Waiters at the Dom Pérignon tasting.
Courtesy Photo
Moët Hennessy began harvesting its 2,000 hectares of vineyards on Sept. 5, 10 days ahead of schedule, after three successive heatwaves hastened the maturing of the grapes. Mindful of the impact of global warming, LVMH is putting a lot of effort into sustainable wine-growing, Schauss said.
“These days with all the climate situations and the protests and all that, it’s so important that