Pierre Pérignon was baptized in Sainte-Menehould on January 5, 1639. Appointed procurator of Abbaye d’Hautvillers in 1668, Dom Pierre Pérignon spent 47 years overseeing the abbey’s worldly affairs until his death on September 24, 1715. He acted as manager, builder, legal specialist, merchant, and above all winegrower and winemaker.
Abbaye d’Hautvillers’ reputation flourished under his stewardship as he pursued his proclaimed mission: “make the best wine in the world.” Dom Pierre Pérignon was a visionary who developed revolutionary grape-growing and winemaking techniques that helped earn Champagne wines their reputation for unique noblesse and refinement.
His wine was served in Versailles and enthusiastically praised by none other than the Sun King, Louis XIV. In the 19th century, Dom Pierre Pérignon’s legacy became the stuff of legend. His renown spread worldwide and he was celebrated as “the spiritual father of champagne”, and Hautvillers as “the birthplace of champagne”.
The famed Benedictine monk is buried in the choir of Saint-Sindulphe church.
His 700kg bronze statue, made by the sculptor Juan Carlos Carrillo, can be seen in the Pierre Cheval park in Hautvillers.