Dom Pierre Pérignon constantly innovated, coming up with better ways to make sparkling wine and creating many methods that have been used ever since. He was one of the very first producers to blend grapes from multiple vineyards, a method called
assemblage, the word in French which means blending in this wine-making context. Ever since Dom Pérignon’s time, then,
assemblage has been integral to Champagne production; it was developed in order to put to use all of the best qualities of the grapes from each vineyard-the conceptual whole that's greater than the sum of its parts.
Dom Pérignon's original plantings were located around the abbey, but Pérignon expanded the domain’s vineyard plantings over time. The first vineyards planted in 1663 covered only 21 acres, but by 1715 they covered 48 acres, giving him access to more excellent grapes which improved the quality of the wine.
Dom Pérignon was also the originator of new techniques to make white wines from red grapes. This was a revolution in the production of Champagne. Until then, white wines were produced exclusively from white grapes. The technique of removing the grape juice of the red Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes without allowing it to come in contact with the skins allowed Dom Pérignon to retain the subtle nuances of these grapes without introducing color or tannins, making a more complex and nuanced finished wine.
Making white wine from red grapes is complicated. The principle is that the skins have to be quickly removed from the juice, so as to not impart any color. This requires great care during harvest to gently press the grapes, releasing the juice, but not crush them, thus assuring no additional color or tannin.
Other critical and lasting innovations attributed to Dom Pérignon were the reintroduction of cork as a closure and the use of stronger glass from the UK which allowed for greater consistency during the second fermentation in bottle.
These innovations spread rapidly throughout the region. Centuries later, these methods of production remain intrinsic to Champagne.
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To this day, Dom Pierre Pérignon (1638-1715) is regarded as the spiritual father of winemaking in Champagne. During the 17th century, when the so-called golden rays of Louis XIV (the Sun King) illuminated the French court, Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk and the monastery cellar master at Hautvillers Abbey, was using the quiet time reserved for prayer and reflection to develop a wine whose extraordinary quality made him one of the great visionaries of the winemaking world. 
The house of Dom Pérignon insists on the highest quality, and unlike many Champagne houses, is committed to producing only vintage wines and only in the best years. 
Dom Pérignon's Œnothéque, which in French means 'wine library,' is the ultimate expression of the complexity and intensity that Dom Pérignon can achieve with age.
