2 BURSTING THE BUBBLE

It’s a long-held belief that Dom Pérignon, a monk and cellar master at the Benedictine abbey in Hautvillers, produced the first sparkling champagne, uttering the words: ‘Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!’ But wine merchant and vineyard owner Robert Walters dispels the myth in his book, Bursting Bubbles. According to Walters, during Pérignon’s lifetime (1638–1715) champagne was sold in barrels and considered faulty if it had bubbles. He adds that wine became fizzy when it was stored in bottles during the 18th century as this a ected the fermentation process. Those who enjoyed the bubbles craved more and thus created a market for it.