Dom Pérignon

According to legends, the Dom Pérignon Champagne was born in 1668. At the time, Pierre Pérignon (a monk from the Hautvillers Abbey, and its official cellar master), 50 years old, developed the famous Champagne Method. The latter, also often called the "Traditional Method", was the addition of a drawing liqueur, or "liqueur de tirage" in French, in order to trigger a second fermentation process. This method also included a 12 months aging time. Pierre's goal was not only to help the monks make money for the abbey, he wished to make the best wine in the world.

Dom Pérignon worked in the vineyard for 47 years and died in 1715, but his name went down in History. Before his death, he supposedly shared his technique with Thierry Ruinart, a Benedictine monk, who later gave his name to the Champagne House Ruinart, in 1729. Pierre's champagne is now a flagship of French prestige, but the legend of this monk who came up with the idea for champagne (or even the champagne glass, or the cork stop) is actually a complete fabrication. It was made up by the Maison Moët & Chandon in 1936, after they bought the Dom Pérignon brand, when the 1921 Prestige Cuvée was released on the market.

There are no official documents indicating that Pierre Pérignon made sparkling wines at the time, though he was quite famous for his still wine. Moreover, the royal authorization to bottle wine was only given to Champagne winemakers in 1728: 13 years after Pierre's death. The monk was a talented winemaker on top of being the precursor of modern oenology, known for his technical skills as well as his business acumen.

So, in his way, Dom Pierre Pérignon was a very influential person in the Champagne region, but he is not the creator of the Champagne we know today. Nowadays, the Dom Pérignon brand is a pop culture phenomenon. A brand that can reinvent itself when needed, while still maintaining the level of quality it's known for. Dom Pérignon's famous vintages have a style that is smooth and full of aromas at the same time. The perfect illustration of the Champagne region tradition.

Discover the Dom Pérignon champagne.