Madame Clicquot Ponsardin facts for kids
Madame Clicquot (born Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, 16 December 1777 – 29 July 1866) was a famous French producer of champagne. She is often called the "Grande Dame of Champagne."
When she was 27, Madame Clicquot became a widow. She took over her husband's wine business. Under her leadership, the company grew and became very successful. She also helped create a new way to make champagne. The well-known champagne brand Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is still named after her.
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Biography
Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin was born on 16 December 1777 in Reims, France. Her father, Ponce Jean Nicolas Philippe Ponsardin, was a wealthy textile maker and politician. Her mother was Jeanne Josephe Marie-Clémentine Letertre-Huart.
At age 21, she married François Clicquot. Six years later, in 1805, her husband died from an illness. This left her a widow at 27 years old. She also had a six-year-old daughter named Clémentine. Madame Clicquot came from a very important family. Even Napoleon and Josephine had visited her family's home. Napoleon later made her father the mayor of Reims.
When her husband François died, he left her in charge of his company. This company was involved in banking, wool trading, and making champagne. Madame Clicquot decided to focus only on champagne. Her father-in-law helped her with money, and the business grew.
How She Changed Champagne
Madame Clicquot was very skilled with wine. She helped the company create a new way to make champagne. This special technique is called riddling.
Before riddling, champagne was often cloudy. This was because tiny pieces of yeast were left in the bottle. Yeast is used to create the bubbles in champagne. The old method also made the wine very sweet.
Madame Clicquot's new method still used sugar for a second fermentation. But after this, the bottles were placed upside down. Workers would regularly turn the bottles. This turning process is called riddling. It made all the dead yeast gather near the cork. Once the yeast settled, the part near the cork was carefully removed. Then, more wine was added to fill the bottle. This made the champagne clear and sparkling.
Legacy
Madame Clicquot died on 29 July 1866, in Boursault. She had built a beautiful castle, the Neo-Renaissance style Château de Boursault. She built it to celebrate her granddaughter Marie Clémentine de Chevigné's marriage in 1839. When Madame Clicquot died in 1866, her great-granddaughter, Anne de Rochechouart de Mortemart, inherited the castle.
See also
In Spanish: Barbe-Nicole Clicquot-Ponsardin para niños
