Dom Perignon is one of the oldest, very best and most notable of vintage champagne from the house of Moet and Chandon. The luxury wine is sought after by connoisseurs and it is chosen at parties of the rich and famous around the world. The champagne was named after the Benedictine monk who was one of the most important pioneers when it came to wine.

Dom Perignon was a monk in the cellars at the Benedictine Abbey and he was the first to mix some of the very best grapes in a way that would improve the quality and overcome many imperfections. He also introduced the cork to bottles and used thicker glass on champagne bottles.

Dom Perignon was the first ever luxury prestige cuvee champagne to be introduced in 1921 and was released for sale in 1936. One of the first buyers of Dom Perignon were 150 customers who purchased from the Simon Bros & Co when they imported 300 bottles into the UK. They were immediately welcomed into the market place and 100 boxes were then shipped to the USA. Until 1943 the vintage champagne was produced from a regular vintage champagne from Moet & Chandon before being transferred to the 18th century style bottles following extensive cellaring. From the 1947 vintage however Dom Perignon has been produced separately from the start. In 1971 the Shah of Iran placed an order for some of the very best several bottles of the first vintage of Dom Perignon Rose from 1959 to celebrate the 2,500 year of the Persian Empire. Later a single bottle from the order was auctioned for many thousands of Euros in 2008. Dom Perignon champagne was also the luxury choice of champagne chosen for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Magnums of the Vintage 1961 were served from bottles that carried a special insignia which had been created just for the wedding.

Dom Perignon is always offered as a vintage champagne so it is never made in the weak years and all of the grapes used to make it come from vines harvested in the same year. The current winemaker for 2012 is Richard Geoffroy who has been the Chef de Cave for Dom Perignon since 1990.

The luxury champagne is one of the most sold at auctions and some of the very best bottles can command very high prices. In 2010 a world record was set for the sale of wine in the UK when a buyer purchased a bottle of Methuselah 1996 Dom Perignon Rose Gold at the Westbury Hotel during a party following the screening of the film, Boogie Woogie.

Editorial | Image Courtesy Of Dom Perignon