MOE is manning the barricades over a suggested name change to Moet.

The Gippsland town, much maligned and the butt of cruel jokes about moccies, the dole and young mums, has rallied to the cause to fight any suggestion it be given a touch more class simply by adding a T, and becoming, after the fine French fizz, Moet.

Despite Moet saying a few years back that the correct pronunciation was mo-ett, the name-change debate has still taken off in Moe.

The suggestion first came up during council-sponsored public sessions seeking comments and suggestions for a master plan laying down the town's long-term future.

Instantly, local and state politicians, the Make Moe Glow committee, a wine guru, and a member of the Moe young mums club jumped to defend the town's name.

Marilyn May, Secretary of Make Moe Glow, dismissed the idea. "It's ridiculous," she said. "You can't change the perception of a town by changing the name. It has to come from within.

"We've got so much positivity in this town now, and on Saturday we're up for the finals in the Tidy Towns awards."

The Mayor of Moe, Anthony Zimora, said there's no way he would be mayor of Moet. "It will never happen," Cr Zimora said.

"I think it's a very minor and unnecessary suggestion among a wide range of other more worthwhile ideas people came up with."

Glenn Maddern, 45, a former painter now on a disability pension, was in two minds about the possible name change.

When he learned Moet was an old and respected name in the champagne business, instead of "some new brand", he considered it.

"That's different," was his first comment.

"I'm not sure though. I don't want to say either way, because people from one side or the other would bash me."

Russell Northe, the National Party member for Morwell, which borders Moe, brushed off the idea, but said it did have one benefit.

"It's not a solution to the problems, but it's certainly got people talking and has put Moe on the map again," he said.

"I think the Latrobe Valley is certainly fighting back against the reputation and perceptions people have had over a period of time."

But even if the idea takes off, Moe will have trouble turning into Moet.

Rachel Ruddick from Moet Hennessy Australia, local distributors of the drinking Moet, has firmly shoved the cork back in the bottle.

"It's very flattering if they feel it would be uplifting for their town to adopt our name," she said.

"But we have a brand to protect and we will protect our brand."

So if they still want a name change, but can't have Moet, Australian wine guru Jeremy Oliver has a solution.

"Perhaps they could name the town in keeping with the local drinking habits," he suggested.

"Seeing the town of Foster is just a bit further down in Gippsland and that name is taken, changing the name to Vic appears to be the only viable alternative."

Originally published as It fits Moe to a 'T'