• Religious Tourism
    • Food & Wine

Dom Perignon and Franciacorta

The strange story of the most famous wine in the world

What do Dom Perignon and Franciacorta have in common? They're both tourism destinations – sure. The cleverer among you might point to the production processes. And with good reason: the two famous sparkling wines are both produced according to the classic method, also known as champenoise.

What you might not know is that at the heart of one of the most important chapters of the history of wine there is a Benedictine monk: Dom Perignon. In 1668, Perignon was living at the Abbey of St. Peter in Hautvillers, a town in the region of Champagne. One of his duties was to take care of the vines.

There are a number of legends linked to Dom Perignon. It is said that he discovered how to create bubbles in his wine almost by accident, when several bottles exploded after he had hermetically sealed them and left them to age in the cellar. Others argue that the development came about after Perignon had the idea of infusing the wine with flowers and sugar.

Whatever the real story is, we can all agree that the Dom Perignon is more than worthy of the recognition he has received over the years; his work led to great strides forward in wine production techniques, not least the idea of blending different varieties of grapes. Indeed, the blend of three different grape varieties from three areas of Champagne gave life to a complete and unique wine. And it is from this base that vignerons have worked from for centuries.

Franciacorta wine and indeed the entire region has always drawn inspiration from Champagne: from the production method itself to the simple deletion of the word "sparkling" from the label, in favour of the name of the area of production. Nonetheless, Franciacorta is very much its own wine – a unique product.

On the same topic

Religious Itineraries

Travel, walking
  • Religious Tourism
Religious itineraries, traveling on foot

Churches Milan

Some are famous all over the world, others known only to a few, all of which hide great surprises of art and architecture
  • Religious Tourism
Churches Milan, itineraries

Churches Brescia

The religious one is a richness for Brescia which is one of the Italian cities with the highest number of churches on its territory
  • Religious Tourism
Churches Brescia, what to see in Lombardy

The Via Spluga

The wonderful wilderness of the Spluga “sublime pass” and its route are in enclosed within a rugged and historically rich valley
  • Religious Tourism
The Via Spluga

Monks and beer cross paths in Monza and Buccinasco

Craft breweries in the monasteries of Lombardy
  • Religious Tourism
Craft beer brewing in the monasteries of Lombardy

Visit the mill at the Abbazia di Chiaravalle

Gita fuoriporta alla scoperta dell’Abbazia di Chiaravalle
  • Religious Tourism
Head out of the city and discover the Abbazia di Chiaravalle

Churches Como

Como, appreciated for the beauty of its landscapes, combines beautiful villas and glimpses of the lake with beautiful churches
  • Religious Tourism
Churches Como, a guide to Lombardy

Churches Bergamo

Bergamo: a city with more beauties than you think. They are silent behind centuries-old facades of churches
  • Religious Tourism
Churches Bergamo, religious tourism

Candle production in Lombardy’s monasteries

Laboratories and purchases of candles in the Lombardy monasteries
  • Religious Tourism
The monasteries of Lombardy are producing and selling their own candles

Lodi, places of spirit

Lodi’s network of cycle paths has reached the formidable length of nearly 250 kilometres, making it a veritable paradise for lovers of slow tourism
  • Religious Tourism
Lodi luoghi dell'anima

From Ca' de Mazzi to Corte Sant'Andrea

Stage 5 of the Monk’s trail
  • Religious Tourism
From Ca' de Mazzi to Corte Sant'Andrea

Orio Litta and the Via Francigena

An evocative route that combines nature, faith and art, to explore on foot or by bicycle.
  • Religious Tourism
Orio Litta and the Via Francigena

Church Varese

From the Sacro Monte of Varese to the hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, a spiritual path made of artistic and landscape beauties
  • Religious Tourism
Church Varese, what to see

Medieval cookery at the Abbazia di Morimondo

Gastronomic experiences at the Abbey of Morimondo
  • Religious Tourism
Gastronomic experiences at the Abbazia di Morimondo

The Via degli Abati

A route rich in history and tradition that runs through a land of utterly unique landscapes, unchanged over time
  • Religious Tourism
The Via degli Abati

The Easter rituals that bring Lombardy to life

Religious rites, centuries-old traditions, and folklore: this is how Lombardy is preparing for Easter 2022
  • Religious Tourism
I riti di Pasqua che emozionano la Lombardia

La Via Matildica del Volto Santo

A great route of faith and culture
  • Religious Tourism
La Via Matildica del Volto Santo

Book restoration: workshops and activities in monasteries

Restaurare libri rari significa preservare la memoria di opere passate, tasselli della nostra storia, ma anche salvare dall'oblio piccoli capolavori d'arte
  • Religious Tourism
Discover the art of restoring ancient books

Km-0 in Lombardy: agriculture in monasteries

In the monasteries there is still the atmosphere of the past. If you want to buy genuine products, at Km 0, you can contact the monks
  • Religious Tourism
Km-0 agriculture in the monasteries of Lombardy

Dom Perignon and Franciacorta

The strange story of the most famous wine in the world
  • Religious Tourism
The strange story of the most famous wine in the world