Veuve Clicquot

Renowned Champagne house famous for inventing the riddling table and for always prioritising design in addition to quality.

The roots of Veuve Clicquot date back to 1772. Philippe Clicquot established a winemaking business in Champagne, the only region in the world where authentic champagne is made.

The company really started to come into prominence in 1805 when the clever and innovative young woman Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin took over the business after her husband died. Veuve actually means ‘widow’ in French. Madame Clicquot was only 27 at the time when she became one of the first modern businesswomen. It is worth mentioning that all of this took place at a time when women were not even allowed to open their own bank account!

Madame Clicquot quickly earned the respect of even her competitors, and was nicknamed “La Grande Dame” of Champagne. Among other things, she defied the continental trade embargo in Europe and managed to ship her wine abroad. Her champagne received a triumphant welcome in Russia.

The vineyards, cellars and champagne houses of the Champagne wine region are all listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and The Champagne House of Veuve Clicquot is one of the most notable ones. The secret to champagne lies in suitable geographical conditions such as a relatively cool climate, mountainous terrain, relatively low-nutrient and chalky soil, all of which give grapes as well as the wine their strength, freshness, and minerality.

At Veuve Clicquot, grapes are hand-picked, and the vines are kept at a certain length to ensure the best harvest. To ensure the best quality, only the juice from the first press is used to make champagne. The must is then fermented to make the base wine. Carefully selected varietal wines are blended and then aged in medieval chalk tunnels which have been used as cellars since the 18th century. The cellars have a constant temperature and humidity all year round, allowing the champagne to age and turn into a luxuriously bubbly drink.

The Champagne House has been pushing the boundaries since the beginning. Veuve Clicquot was the first Champagne house in the world to release a vintage champagne in 1810. If regular champagne is blended from several base wines or cuvées from different years, vintage champagne is composed exclusively of wines from that harvest year. This gives the champagne an exclusive taste. Vintage champagne is produced only in years with the best harvest.

Madame Clicquot is the inventor of another important innovation – in 1816, she invented the first riddling table (table de remuage) which continues to be used today in champagne houses. At certain intervals, the bottles are twisted so that the sediment settles in the neck of the bottle on the temporary cap. This method guarantees a crystal clear product.

The company has worked hard to assess and reduce the ecological impact of their business, preserve the unique natural environment of the Champagne region as well as local traditions. Veuve Clicquot vineyards changed to a zero-herbicide regime in 2018.

Choice of gourmands

Gourmands love Veuve Clicquot because it pairs perfectly with food. Veuve Clicquot vintage champagnes are most highly esteemed.

Top design

Veuve Clicquot stands out thanks to its unique and bold design solutions. In cooperation with designers, they have created innovative ice buckets, packaging, and even loveseats – the Clicquot Loveseat.

Cellar in the Baltic Sea

In 2010, 47 Veuve Clicquot champagne bottles were found in a shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea near Öland, perfectly preserved for 200 years. Inspired by this, Veuve Clicquot created their own ‘underwater cellar’ in the Baltic Sea in 2014, where bottles of champagne were submerged for 40 years.

Record price

One of the champagne bottles found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea was later sold at auction for 30,000 euros – the highest price ever paid for champagne.