Dom Perignon’s influence seems to be everywhere in Épernay and Hautvilliers. There are numerous statues and his name comes up in several cellars tours.
How did this happen? Who was this monk who’s influence seems to reach beyond the grave to still influence the champagne industry today?
If you visit Möet & Chandon for a cellar tour, the first ‘person’ you meet is a statue of Dom Perignon.
It seems that Möet & Chandon have branded Dom Perignon and seem to have claimed his very sole. they even bought Hautvilliers Abbey. Irrespective of your views on giant champagne houses Möet & Chandon got where they are today by producing high quality champagne year in year out, for a very long time.
Dom Perignon – The Monk
Dom Perignon – the man, was a Benedictine monk 1638 – 1715, who was the cellar master of the Abbey of Hautvilliers. He more than doubled the amount of land under grape cultivation.
A contemporary of Dom Perignon was Dom Thierry Ruinart who’s name has also become synonymous with luxury champagne. In his time, Dom Perignon developed some of the key elements of champagne production including:
- Careful pressing of the grapes and the ability to produce white wine from the pressing of red grapes e.g. Pinot Noir.
- Pruning vines so that they were no more than 1m/3ft tall.
- Harvesting grapes in a cool climate using careful harvesting techniques.
- He used multiple presses of grapes.
Dom Perignon only made wines out of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes a blend that Möet & Chandon carry on to this day in the production of the exclusive Dom Perignon Champagne.
Dom Perignon did lay down some fundamental rules that formed the basis of the development of the drink we know today as Champagne but by no means all. Development and refinement continues to this day.
Dom Pérignon – The Champagne
The house of Mercier produced the first Dom Pérignon champagne in 1921. The name transferred to Möet & Chandon in 1927 as a wedding gift from Mercier to Möet. Dom Pérignon was made in an identical way to Möet & Chandon until 1947 when the production lines were separated.
Dom Pérignon is only produced in exceptional vintage years from Grand Cru cuvee and only using Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.
Möet & Chandon celebrate the blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir developed by Dom Pérignon (the monk) in their production of Dom Pérignon Champagne, exquisitely crafted and made from the finest ingredients available.
We also have other Möet & Chandon and Dom Pérignon blog posts: