Friday 18 October 2019 was Global Champagne Day, which is celebrated around the world by those who love their glass of bubbly. However, champagne is more than just a classy, bubbly drink. It has a long history dating back to Hautvillers in the Champagne region of France.
in 1693, a 19 year old Benedictine monk named Pierre (Dom) Pérignon was making wine the Abbey of Hautvillers near Épernay in France. His job in the Abbey was cellar master.
By accident he created too many bubbles in a batch of wine and upon taste testing he discovered the brew was like stars. Hence, according to local French legend; champagne was born.
Dom Perignon’s contribution to the world of champagne was when he discovered a technique to make white wine from red grapes. He was an early advocate for organic winemaking and only used natural processes including gentle coquard press and blending different vineyard sources to make a balanced wine.
There had been many workplace accidents caused by transporting champagne in low quality bottles with a piece of wood to act as a cork. The build up of pressure and movement caused the bottles to explode unexpectantly.
Dom influenced the special design of a champagne bottle, the classic style seen today, to ensure it was strong enough to withstand the extreme pressure of the gases inside.
Furthermore, he also re-introduced the cork design to fit securely into the bottle neck and safely preserve the precious champagne for travelling. When it came time to pop the cork, it could reach speeds of up to 64km/h.
The classic style bottle he created and the name Dom Perignon is symbolic with luxury, class and style today. While the price tag on a bottle of Dom Perignon is out of reach of the average person, on global champagne day many celebrated with a glass of sparkling wine.
Photos courtesy of Google Clip Art Gallery
