Moët & Chandon reaches halfway point of its 100 km of hedges project in Champagne
We are delighted to share with you some exciting news from the world of wine. The prestigious house of Moët & Chandon has just reached a crucial milestone in its ambitious project to plant hedges in Champagne. This initiative, which is part of a broader approach to preserving the environment, deserves our full attention.
An innovative project for Champagne biodiversity
As wine enthusiasts, we are constantly on the lookout for innovations in the wine industry. The Natura Nostra project, launched by Moët & Chandon in 2021, is a regional initiative that is particularly close to our hearts. Its objective? To fight against climate change and restore biodiversity in the Champagne vineyards.
The flagship element of this project is the planting of 100 km of hedges by 2027. Today, we are proud to announce that the house has reached half of this ambitious goal. This achievement represents a giant step for the preservation of the Champagne ecosystem.
Here's a look at the progress so far:
- 2021: 35 km of hedges planted on the grounds of the house
- 2024: 60 projects carried out with wine partners in the Marne and Aube regions
- Recently: 1 km of hedges planted on two agricultural plots of a wine partner in the Côte des Blancs
The ecological benefits of hedgerows
As a sommelier who has traveled to many vineyards around the world, we can affirm that planting hedges is a practice with multiple virtues. In the case of the Moët & Chandon project, these hedges will create essential ecological corridors connecting two reservoirs of biodiversity: the Saran forest and the Montagne de Reims forest.
These corridors offer many advantages:
| Profit | Impact |
|---|---|
| Restoring ecosystem balance | Promotes the movement of animal and plant species |
| Prevention of soil erosion | Maintains the quality of wine-growing lands |
| Improved water retention | Optimizes water resource management |
A collaborative approach for lasting change
What particularly impresses us about this project is the collaborative approach adopted by Moët & Chandon. The house has managed to mobilize employees, wine partners and public authorities around this common cause. This synergy is essential to drive significant change in the Champagne region.
Sibylle Scherer, CEO and President of Moët & Chandon, underlines the importance of this collaboration: "Preserving nature requires the mobilization of all stakeholders. The house works in close collaboration with interprofessional organizations, its partners and public authorities, sharing its innovations, its best practices and driving significant change in the Champagne region."
This initiative is part of a broader trend observed in many wine regions. Indeed, improving biodiversity is becoming a growing priority, complementary to organic and biodynamic viticulture approaches. We have had the opportunity to see similar initiatives during our travels to other prestigious wineries, such as Familia Torres in Spain, which has implemented projects to repopulate endangered species and create habitat corridors.
As wine enthusiasts, we are convinced that these initiatives are essential for the future of viticulture. They demonstrate that producing exceptional wines can go hand in hand with preserving the environment. Moët & Chandon’s project is an inspiring example that we hope will encourage other players in the wine world to follow suit.
