Here's why Dom Perignon is worth $200 a bottle

Let's pop some bottles today. Dom Pérignon. Or as proper pronunciation, Dom Pérignon. It is the originator. It is the gift of kings. It's the taste of the stars. And as my sister-in-law says, it will change your life. But is it worth all the hoopla? Let's find out. Before we get started today, thank you so much for watching. If you could please go ahead and like and subscribe on this video. Because it means a lot to me personally I'm talking to you, kid. Dom Pérignon is the Champagne of Champagnes. And Champagne itself is actually kind of a loaded word. Champagne gets thrown around as the term for all sparkling wine and that's not the case. Champagne is actually a very specific type of sparkling wine that comes out of the Champagne regions of France. And it has to be specific to that region of France. You can have Champagne that comes from other regions of France and still not be considered Champagne. Instead, be considered sparkling wine. But sparkling wine is still actually produced all around the world. And each different region that likes to produce its own sparkling wine will have a different name of what they like to call their sparkling wine. So if you have an Italian sparkling wine, that's the... So if you have an Italian sparkling wine, that's called Prosecco. If you have a Spanish sparkling wine, that's called Cava. And if you have a sparkling wine from California, that's called California Champagne. I guess because they couldn't think of a better name than California Champagne. So many writers out in California can't think of a snappier name other than Californian Champagne. Whatever. So what makes Dom Perignon so elite, even amongst the eliteness that is Champagne and sparkling wine? There are a myriad of factors that make this bottle of bubbling grapes better than this bottle of bubbling grapes. I have two bottles of Champagne. It's time to party. I'm kidding. This isn't Champagne. It's Italian. So what does that make it, class? Say it with me. Prosecco. There we are learning. Take that, everyone who said sarcasm couldn't be constructive. I'm sorry, guys. Sometimes my humor can be drier than a brute. Which is Champagne talk for drier than extra dry. I missed. I don't even know if the camera picked it up. The founder of Dom Perignon, Dom Perignon himself, we can call him the Dom, was an 18th century monk who developed a method of blending certain amounts of grapes which would yield a bubbling factor to the wine. These grapes include Pinot Noir grape. And Pinot Noir grape, as something that you might know, is actually used for red wine. So how does red wine equal gold Champagne? It's because whenever the juice is extracted from the grape, it's extracted almost immediately, giving it no time to bond with the skin, making it that reddish color. But that grape mixed with other grapes help give it that golden sheen to it. But whilst fermentation happens in the bottle, that also leads to carbon dioxide buildup, which gives it its natural bubble. And that is one thing you notice while drinking Dom Perignon over other sparkling wines. It's a very natural and very calming bubble. Some other sparkling wines just feel like it was ran through a soda stream. I'm not going to name any names because I don't want to get cooked over it. But so as the fermentation happens, they actually store the bottles at an angle like this. And twice a day, they have someone come around and hand rotate the bottles. And that is someone's paid job to turn 50,000 bottles of Dom Perignon twice a day. The personal touch and the higher end level to detail is what you get when you look at luxury items. So to the cynics who say that it all tastes the same, it's all just grapes and even sommeliers are full of crap and can't taste the difference, it shouldn't distract from the actual human element, the actual attention to detail that goes into making luxury items. Rather it being a designer hoodie or a bottle of grapes from 10 years ago. Which leads me on to my next point, the vintage. Dom Perignon is only produced in the year they are able to produce Dom Perignon. So what does that mean? It simply means that the grapes need to be the highest level of quality for them to produce Dom Perignon. And if the grapes are not high enough quality to produce a bottle of Dom Perignon that year, they just won't make Dom Perignon. So for example, let's say they could make Dom Perignon in 1971 but the grapes weren't right for 1972. Well they will only make Dom Perignon for 1971 and they will not make any for 1972. So that's where the term vintage comes in. On every bottle of Dom Perignon you should see the vintage year. On this particular bottle it was 2009. That's right everybody, I have a big bottle of grapes that are way past their sale by date. So the vintage years that we have now are from 1921 to 2009. In those intervening years, would someone like to guess how many vintages there are? Go ahead, comment down below. I'll wait. And if you got 69, you're wrong and you have a dirty mind. But if you guessed 42, you're right. Because 42 is the answer to the universe. Is the answer to life? Because 42 is the answer to life. 42 is a number that's bugging me a lot. I'm going to do a video essay on 42 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how it's tearing my mind apart. With that being said, look it's my 42nd pair of sunglasses. I don't have a deep-seated problem at all. But also since 1959, Dom Perignon has produced their rosé vintage. And in those intervening years from 1959 to 2004, which was the last vintage of Dom Perignon rosé, they've produced 24 vintages. Which if you're perceptive, is just 42 backwards. Now I don't think I'm losing my bearing on reality at all. The number of bottles that are produced with each vintage aren't necessarily defined, but it's expected that each vintage would be over 5 million bottles. That's a lot of bubbles. But let's look at one of my favorite parts with any luxury purchase, and that's the packaging. When you buy a bottle of Dom Perignon, it comes in a big box like this. A big sturdy box with these two satin tabs. Of course on the outside, you see the logo of Dom Perignon with the Dom Perignon crest. And on the sides, they're blazoned with Dom Perignon with a small version of the Dom Perignon crest. The bottle is safely preserved inside of here until you're ready to open. And when you are ready to open, it has these two satin tabs that you just pull on. Once inside the box, you're actually greeted with this pamphlet. Looking in through this pamphlet, it offers an extended view over the history and the variety that Dom Perignon offers, which is highly worth the read. And I definitely recommend, if you ever buy a bottle of Dom Perignon, keep all of this. Because even though the champagne may be gone, it's still fun to have this packaging. And then once past the pamphlet, you're greeted with this final covering of the bottle. And all you have to do is lift up at the seal to reveal the bottle itself. And then you have the gorgeous, unmistakable bottle of Dom Perignon, emblazoned with the Dom Perignon crest. And look closely, and you can, of course, see that vintage again. The best way to serve Dom Perignon is to chill it in the refrigerator for at least overnight. And then once removing, get a champagne bucket filled with ice, and then put the bottle of Dom Perignon in there for at least 10 minutes before enjoying. As far as opening the bottle of Dom Perignon, you have two acceptable methods. First method is the traditional method, which is to hold it with one hand and cup it with the other, and slowly twist it to let out the carbonation just to pop off the bottle. And the second is to use a sword to pop the top off. One thing you do not do is shake up the bottle and let it pop. Because it's a bottle of Dom Perignon, act like you've been here before. And that's all I got for this go-around. If you've liked it, please like it. Also, share it to some friends who you think would like this. What are your guys' thoughts on Dom Perignon? If you could, please just comment below and let me know. And also, please guys, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter at dapper underscore tan. Links are in the description down below. And again, it would mean so much if you went ahead and subscribed. You could click right here to subscribe, or you can click right here to watch more. And I'll see you next time.