St. Sindulphe is the church of Hautvillers abbey, a few kilometres from Epernay. It was founded in 650 by St. Nivard, Archbishop of Reims, when a dove showed him the place to build a new monastery. Thriving in the Middle Ages, the Benedictine abbey gradually declined until the arrival of a young monk, Dom Pierre Pérignon, in 1668. Appointed cellarer of the abbey, he revolutionised the trade and production methods of Champagne wine. An outstanding taster, Dom Pérignon selected the right grape varieties and invented the blending of juices from different parcels.