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Hautvillers history

The famous local monk Dom Pérignon made Hautvillers an integral part of the history of Champagne. It’s a unique village in the Montagne de Reims Nature Park… The kind you never forget.

ts past is bursting with tales and legends, its picture-perfect charm is mesmerising and the flood of vines washing over the hillsides is breathtaking.

Dive in and explore more than just the history of the village, but also champagne and its region.

Hautvillers Premier Cru
terroir of excellence.

Hauvillers

Hautvillers,
  bursting with history
    thanks to the local monk
      Dom Pérignon

The wonderful village surrounded by Hautvillers Forest has suprises galore.

Feast your eyes on staggering views and wrought iron signs as you venture up the narrow lanes.

The origins of Hautvillers tie into its abbey’s existence. The Abbey had its fair share of trials and tribulations over the centuries as it was plundered nearly 17 times.

A Benedictine monk arrived in Hautvillers in 1668: his wisdom and education saw him made the Abbey Cellar Master. Dom Pérignon was an incredibly modern man and a real perfectionist. 


Things weren’t looking good back then: the abbey was struggling to recover after the Huguenots set it on fire, there wasn’t enough income and vine growing wasn’t making much money. 


Dom Pérignon helped the vines flourish, not just in Hautvillers but throughout the region, and the cellar master monk made

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In 1681,
Hautvillers Abbey “the Birthplace of Champagne”.

Don Pérignon
He wrote the rulebook about vine growing, grape pairings and wine making that everyone was happy to follow. The wine made under his guidance was highly sought-after. Dom Pérignon produced Champagne’s first bubbles.

He pioneered:

  • Fining to remove any unwanted elements from the bottle. 

  • Blends
  • Separating the juice whilst pressing for 400kg of grapes to make one marc was split into 10 cuvée parts that are still 20.50hl, 2 “première taille” (first cut) 8.10hl parts and 1 “deuxième taille” (second cut) 2.05hl part 

  • The cork to replace dowels and tallow

  • He changed the shape of the bottle (hollow bottom) by making it thicker to improve its resistance to pressure.


The Pearl
  of Champagne


Louis XIV’s first minister soon made champagne very famous as Colbert himself brought the divine drink into the public eye. 


Dom Pérignon died in 1715 and is buried at Hautvillers Church under a marble tombstone near the sanctuary. 


That’s why Hautvillers, the Pearl of Champagne, an unmissable and picturesque location in the region deep in the Montagne de Reims Nature Park, has rightfully earned its name as the “birthplace of champagne”.

Each and every visit takes you on a trip back in time in a village that’s a joy to explore.


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UNESCO
World Heritage

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We reaped the rewards of 8 years of hard work and campaigning, in 2015 when Champagne’s hillsides, houses and cellars were listed as UNESCO World Heritage. The accolade puts the spotlight on the places that brought champagne to the world. Being an iconic Champagne destination, our very special village of Hautvillers, its hillsides and abbey are listed as UNESCO World Heritage as the “Birthplace of Champagne historic hillsides”. This recognition pays tribute to our age-old vine growing legacy that is still thriving today. It’s home to the Champagne vineyard’s signature features with chalk everywhere and fantastic panoramic views.

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