Why The Name The Blind Monk?

The Blind Monk

One of the most frequent questions we get at the wine bar is “where did you come up with the name The Blind Monk?” Well, choosing the right name took many weeks of deliberation, and once it was decided on, the name had a huge impact on the interior design of the place. One day we were reading about wine and came across an excerpt on Dom Pierre Pérignon, the famed Benedictine monk and cellar master of the Abbey of Hautvillers in Champagne, France. The story goes…To ensure the highest quality grapes were selected for his wines, Dom would taste and select grapes without knowing the vineyard the grapes came from. He did not want to be biased by the reputation of each vineyard. This first step became a critical component of what is now known as the methode champenoise, a revolution in the production and quality of sparkling wine. So, when you walk into The Blind Monk, the first thing you may notice is our huge chandelier of “champagne bubbles” floating over the bar. The chandelier is one of several design elements that pays tribute to our namesake. And no, Dom Pérignon was not really blind.