Dom Pérignon

Dom Pérignon is a high class brand of champagne, made by the prestigious Moët & Chandon Champange House in France. Hands down, Dom Pérignon is not only one of the most popular names in the world of sparkling wines but also one of the most expensive. There is hardly an alcoholic drink enthusiast that can resist its charm and class.

Production of Dom Pérignon

Dom Pérignon is made from chardonnay and Pinot Noir by selecting grapes all grown in the same year. Keep in mind that not every year's harvest is sold in stores. The reason is that the manufacturers are truly strict on quality and if a particular harvest does not meet the requirements, it may not even be declared.

Interestingly, blending with other wines aside chardonnay and Pinot Noir is not allowed. This in turn means that Dom Pérignon is made once every few years. It's happened that an entire 5 years pass without wine scientists declaring a harvest, believing the quality unfit for what the winemaker seeks.

History of Dom Pérignon

This dizzying drink bears the name of the Benedictine monk Pierre Pérignon, having earned the title of Dom. The legend goes that he created the champagne around the 17th century. The story tells of Pérignon discovering the stage of 2nd fermentation by complete accident.

When he drunk of his unbelievable creation, he exclaimed that he was drinking the stars themselves. Apparently his find truly was memorable since the identity of the monk continues living through one of the most expensive sparkling wines.

Dom Pérignon champagne gained world renown in 1936, with the harvest that made such a huge impression at the time being from 1921. According to true admirers of the drink, the most remarkable harvest so far was from 1961.

It became even more famous after it was chosen for the wedding toast of prince Charles and princess Diana. The harvest from 1961 is preferred since that is the birth year of the princess of Wales.

Characteristics of Dom Pérignon

The color of the drink is golden. Dom Pérignon is distinguished by a strong and prominent character, each harvest capable of enticing with its own unique charm. The fragrance of the luxurious champagne impresses with pineapple, fresh angelica, cinnamon and coconut aromas. At the same time one can pick up hints of flowers, tobacco and cocoa.

When drinking it, the palate enjoys a feeling of abundance. Earthy, warm and peppery nuances are present, reminding of spices. At the same time, one can pick up on fruity exoticness, age and a gentle touch of anise. However, it is also possible to notice an iodine aroma in the harvest. This brand of champagne ages well and its profile solidifies nicely over time.

Serving Dom Pérignon

The mere presence of Dom Pérignon at the kitchen table is an event in itself. Before serving, this wine needs to be cooled to about 50°F (11 °C). Of coarse, cooling depends on the age of the drink so do look at what's written on the label for that specific champagne. It is best to open the bottle right before serving.

Dom Pérignon is served in the classic champagne glass. The shape of it is such that it will be able to fully reveal the freshness and fragrance of the sparkling grape beverage. It has a straight, slim stem and is relatively longer and narrower than the standard white wine glass for example. This allows the consumer to fully delight in the tiny bubbles.

Dom Pérignon may be consumed on its own but it can be paired with different types of food. The choice of adding anything to this luxurious wine depends mostly on the preference of the consumers.

Still, the unarguable fact is that it goes excellently with various fruits, especially strawberries. You can also choose raspberries, grapes, pineapple, melon. All kinds of fruit salads are appropriate, regardless if they have added cream or not.

The champagne can also be combined with nuts, its taste becoming a perfect harmony with almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios and others. All sorts of desserts are suitable as well, including cheesecakes, cakes, mousses, rolls, biscuits, bonbons.

Chocolate confectioneries are also a fine choice in this case. Try combining the champagne with a biscuit cake, Mikado cake, chocolate pastries or cold cake.

If you're not so much a fan of sweets but would like to combine the champagne with some type of food, you can bet on a mushroom specialty. You'll surely be enthralled if you serve the wine with paprikash with mushrooms, mushrooms with spices or macaroni with mushrooms.

Other delicious foods for complementing Dom Pérignon are dishes with chicken meat, fish and seafood specialties such as lobster, shrimp, mussels, squid and others.

If you're a fan of dairy products, you also have something with which to harmonize the taste of this emblematic grape elixir. Use cheeses like parmesan, cheddar, muenster, goat cheese or gouda.