The sparkling story of Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk

 

Although Dom Pérignon is not the direct inventor of world-famous champagne, he made its creation possible thanks to his pioneering work in producing a high-quality white wine.

A little over three centuries after his death, Dom Pierre Pérignon remains one of the most famous monks in history for his incredible contribution to the culinary heritage of his country, France, and therefore to a world art de vivre.

The aura of mystery surrounding his life and work, however, has given rise to countless stories and legends over time, many of which do not correspond to reality.

In fact, contrary to widely held belief, he did not invent champagne. It is to a woman known as Widow Clicquot that we owe the delicious golden bubbly drink we know today. And it wasn't until 1810 - almost a century after the Benedictine monk's death - that she developed the new technique that allowed her to master the so-called secondary fermentation process inherent in white wines from the Champagne region of France whose sparkling effect lasts. time ago. been celebrated.

So what are the reasons for its unsinkable international fame?

Unmatched quality of the wine

"Dom Pérignon may not be the direct inventor of the champagne we know today, but he brilliantly paved the way for its creation by producing a white wine of unparalleled quality for his time," historian Jean-Baptiste Noé, author of the book Histoire du vin et de l'Eglise (History of wine and the Church), said in an interview with the Registry.

Born in 1638, Pérignon was just over 30 when he entered the Benedictine abbey of Hautvillers (in the Champagne region of northeastern France), where he served as a cellarer until his death on 24 September 1715. At the time upon his arrival at the abbey, the region produced low-end wines that were shunned by the French court, which generally preferred intense, colorful red wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux.

To make matters worse, the world was experiencing the so-called Little Ice Age, which made wine production even more difficult in the northern regions during the winter.

But despite all these external constraints he faced, Dom Pérignon was inventive and resourceful enough to bring his region up to the level of the greatest wine regions in just a few years by focusing on white wine production.

"First of all he tackled the climatic problems by developing the pinot noir grape, which is more resistant to cold, and he also made grape varieties, mixing pinot noir with chardonnay, for example, in the event of a less favorable climate for one of the vines," he said Noé, adding that the monk was also the first to have blended wines from different vintages in order not to suffer the climatic risks and thus guarantee a constant quality.

But its role as a pioneer in the wine sector is wider than this. He also understood the influence of the sun and the role of the geographical orientations of the different parcels of vines in the final taste of the wine.

"He was the first to blend the vine parcels to obtain the best possible quality, bearing in mind that a greater exposure to the sun makes the wine sweeter, while the less exposed parcels produce more acidic flavors".

It is therefore on the basis of this extraordinary know-how that Widow Clicquot was able to develop the “champagne” process that would make the world-famous sparkling wine popular.

Although sparkling wine already existed in the time of Dom Pierre Pérignon, it was considered defective by winemakers. Champagne wine, due to the northern climate of the region, stops fermenting with the first colds of October and ferments a second time in spring, which causes the formation of bubbles.

Another problem with this double fermentation, as Noé recalled, was the fact that the dead yeasts of the first fermentation caused the formation of deposits in the barrels, making the wine unpleasant to drink.

"Dom Pérignon actually tried to correct this unwanted sparkling effect that the French aristocracy did not like, particularly by using pinot noir, which was less prone to refermentation."

"But for his English customers, who were very fond of this sparkling effect," he added, "he used to improve the quality of the wine as much as possible and send it to England as it was."

Initial Marketing Stunt

While Dom Pérignon was committed to developing his monastery's wine production to cope with his financial difficulties, his strong business acumen proved to be a real blessing for his community.

His white wines were sold in Paris and London - his barrels were quickly delivered to the French capital thanks to the River Marne - and his fame spread quickly. Driven by his success, he gave his products his name, which had the effect of increasing their value.

“The wine that bears his name sold twice the price of a classic champagne wine because people knew Dom Pérignon's products were the best,” continued Noé. “It was the first time that a wine was identified only with its producer and not simply with its region of origin or with a religious order”.

In this sense, the Benedictine monk has made a real marketing blow around his personality, considered the first in economic history. His achievements, which allowed the abbey to double the size of its vineyards, were then further consolidated and developed by the successor and disciple of the monk winemaker, Dom Thierry Ruinart, who gave his name to the prestigious Champagne house. which his grandson founded in his memory in 1729.

The two monks who have done so much for the world of wine are buried next to each other in the abbey church of Hautvillers, where wine connoisseurs still come from all over the world to pay their respects.

“Their dynasty was great - concluded Jean-Baptiste Noé. The Ruinart Champagne House now belongs to the LVMH luxury group and Dom Pérignon is a great vintage champagne brand. Even if there is still a lot of confusion regarding their role in the invention of champagne, it is still fair to acknowledge their authorship of this great wine “.