MOET & CHANDON

SEASONS GREETINGS!

It was a warm Summer’s evening on the rooftop of the Radisson Red at the V&A Waterfront Silo District in Cape Town.  The early evening light was magical; the sun was kissing the mother city good night and there was laughter and anticipation in the air as the Moëtmoment cocktail party was in full swing. The sound of Moët champagne corks popping, the taste of canapés and the smell of truffle-topped wafer-thin pizza fresh out the oven set the atmosphere for the evening. These culinary treats immediately preceded our host, Pascal Asin, giving a short welcome speech to celebrate the official lighting ceremony of the Moët & Chandon golden tree.

In return, we raised our golden goblets to thank Pascal, as director of Moët-Hennessy Africa and the Middle East, and his team for doing a sterling job in directing a touch of French luxury and finesse to the Southern tip of Africa in the form of the LVMH (Louis-Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy) brands. Moët & Chandon has been recognised for over two centuries (250 years and counting) as a very special champagne.

As nightfall blanketed us, we were asked to descend and gather around the impressive four-storey high Golden Christmas Tree below. Created out of 2000 recycled champagne bottles, the tree is wrapped in shimmering gold ribbon and draped with 230 metres of LED lights.

In the moments to come, a flick of a switch would bring the tree to life. The gathered crowd drew its breath in suspense and… voilà! Seconds later, the tree sparkled before us as its lights glowed and danced around to Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”. It was a spectacular moment – a Moëtmoment to remember.

My very best wishes to all during the festive season. Let the silly season begin.

P.S. Remember to recycle your Moët bottles – you never know… they could land up on next year’s tree! I like to think mine did!

QueenB!……..Abuzzing of