WAS PERIGNON,DOM REALLY BLIND

Many sources perpetuate the tripartite myth that Dom Perignon was the blind inventor of champagne, whose senses of taste and smell were enha nced by his loss of vision. This myth, however, is seemingly contradic ted by historical fact. Not only do ancient references suggest that sp arkling wine existed long before Perignon's time, but the making of ch ampagne was a scientific process that required careful measuring, weig hing, and record keeping, and it is unlikely that Perignon was blind w hen he was perfecting champagne. While the truth regarding Dom Perigno n's blindness has disappeared during the more than two and a half cent uries since his death, it is interesting to speculate why he may have lost vision at some stage of life. A brief history of Perignon's disco very of the secret of champagne and the blindness myth is traced, and a differential diagnosis is given, including cataracts, uncorrected re fractive error, alcohol toxicity, and champagne-related ocular/cerebra l trauma. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.).