Veuve Clicquot

Veuve Clicquot[edit | edit source]

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is a prestigious Champagne house based in Reims, France. It was founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot, and is one of the oldest champagne houses in the world. The house is known for its consistency in quality and its signature style of rich and full-bodied champagnes.

History[edit | edit source]

The house was established by Philippe Clicquot, with the later involvement of his son, François Clicquot. François married Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin in 1798 and died in 1805, leaving his widow (veuve in French) in control of a company variously involved in banking, wool trading, and Champagne production. She became the first woman to take over a Champagne house. Under Madame Clicquot's guidance, the firm focused entirely on the last, to great success.

Production[edit | edit source]

Veuve Clicquot produces both vintage and non-vintage cuvee, as well as a prestige cuvee known as La Grande Dame. The house is known for its consistency in quality, year after year, and for its signature style of rich and full-bodied champagnes. The house uses a high proportion of Pinot Noir grapes in its blends, which gives the champagne its structure and body.

Innovations[edit | edit source]

Veuve Clicquot is credited with a great breakthrough in champagne handling that made mass production of the wine possible. Clicquot's advance involved systematically collecting the spent yeast and sediments left from fermentation in the bottle's neck by using a specialized rack. Composed much like a wooden desk with circular holes, the rack allowed a bottle of wine to be stuck sur point or upside down. Over time these sediments would settle to the bottle's neck for easy removal. This technique is still used today by houses producing Champagne.

Recognition[edit | edit source]

Veuve Clicquot's champagnes have been recognized with numerous awards and accolades over the years. The house's prestige cuvee, La Grande Dame, is consistently rated among the top champagnes in the world.