Thank Catholic Innovation for – Champagne
We toast to the newlyweds with it. We ring in the new year with it. We celebrate life’s most special occasions with it. Yes, we’re talking about champagne.
Two of the most famous champagne brands in the world are named after two 17th century Benedictine monks who are credited with innovative wine-making methods that led to the development and distribution of modern-day champagne. Dom Pierre Pérignon and Dom Thierry Ruinart were dear friends and shared a passion for making delicious wine.
For many years, Dom Pierre Pérignon (assisted by Dom Thierry Ruinart) was the cellar master at the Abbey of Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers in Champagne, and he dedicated much of his life to creating the best wine possible. Though many of his innovative wine-making techniques seem obvious to us today, Dom Pierre was considered a pioneer. He took great care in handling the grapes, separated out rotten grapes from the healthy ones, and harvested the grapes at a cooler temperature. Additionally, he made a true art out of blending grapes from different groups of vineyards, and he invented the technique used to create white wine from black grapes.
As if his wine-making innovations weren’t enough, he also improved upon wine preservation by introducing corks to keep wine fresh and sparkling and developed thicker glass bottles to prevent bottles from shattering during transport. This was vital for the wine industry since a majority of monasteries were in rural areas, and their wine was transported for many miles to be sold in cities.
Dom Thierry Ruinart was studying in Paris for a time when he came across a “wine with bubbles” that was popular among the French upper class. He wondered if he could improve upon their bubbly wine by making it with grapes from the abbey in Champagne and using Dom Pérignon’s methods. Dom Ruinart shared this idea with his nephew, who founded the first Champagne house 20 years after his uncle’s death. He named their finest blend after his uncle, and the Dom Ruinart brand was born.
When we ring in the new year and next time we celebrate the newlyweds, let us toast to the monks whose innovative wine-making led to our delicious modern-day champagne.
