Grape Wine Journey

What do you know about Dom Perignon?  Well, before my visit to Champagne, I knew he was the monk that perfected the production of Champagne and his name stands for the premium brand of the Champagne House Moet Chandon.

The tour at Moet started with a short video on the history of the Champagne House, then it’s the visit to the biggest cellar in the world  – 28km in total! It was dark and wet with many endless tunnels leading to who knows where.

There were vintage Champagnes behind a locked gate where the guide said only the Cellar Master has the key.  This is the place where he would come and taste the old vintages, and find the inspiration to continue the Moet style.

Then at the distant end, we saw a statue of Virgin Mary.  This is the corner where the premium Dom Perignon are stored and aged for at least 7 years before release.   When the monk Dom Perignon was producing Champagne, he believed Virgin Mary would keep an eye on his wines.  So Moet followed the tradition and Virgin Mary is still keeping an eye on the bottles.

I felt I should pay a visit to the monk before I leave the bubbly town.   The famous monk is buried in a small Chapel in the heart of Hautvillers. Strangely, it was not mentioned in any of the guidebooks.

But maybe it is better he lies peacefully in the small village where he was born.  The tourists could flock the house of Moet and take pictures with the statue standing in the garden of the Champagne house, while he could rest in peace.