Veuve Clicquot facts for kids
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| Industry | Champagne production |
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| Founded | 1772 (253 years ago) |
| Founder | Philippe Clicquot |
| Headquarters | 12, Rue du Temple Reims, France |
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Key people
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Jean-Marc Gallot (President) |
| Parent | LVMH |
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is a famous company that makes Champagne. It was started in 1772 in Reims, France. It is one of the biggest Champagne companies in the world.
A very important person in its history was Madame Clicquot. She made big changes to how Champagne was made. For example, she created the first known vintage Champagne in 1810. She also invented a special way to make Champagne clear in 1816, called the riddling table process. In 1818, she created the first known rosé Champagne by mixing red and white wines. Many Champagne makers still use this method today.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Madame Clicquot worked hard to sell her wine to royal families across Europe, especially in Russia. She helped make Champagne a popular drink for important people and nobles all over Europe.
The company has used its special yellow label since the late 1800s. In 1986, the company was bought by Louis Vuitton, which is now part of the LVMH group. Veuve Clicquot continues to grow and sell its products worldwide.
Contents
History of Veuve Clicquot Champagne
How the Company Started
Philippe Clicquot was a businessman who sold fabrics and also owned vineyards. In 1772, he started a wine business. He wanted to sell his Champagne wines to people in other countries. Soon, his customers grew. He shipped about 4,000 to 7,000 bottles a year. But his main business was still textiles.
To make their businesses stronger, Mr. Ponsardin and Mr. Clicquot arranged for their children to marry. This was a common practice at the time. François Clicquot and Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin got married on June 10, 1798.
After his marriage, François Clicquot became a partner in his father's company. The company's name changed to "Clicquot-Muiron et Fils." Sales grew from 8,000 bottles in 1796 to 60,000 in 1804. Slowly, the company stopped doing other businesses and focused only on Champagne.
François Clicquot helped the company grow a lot. He also started a new idea: hiring people to travel and sell products. In 1801, François Clicquot went on a long trip across Europe. In Basel, he met Louis Bohne, who became a loyal employee and advisor to Madame Clicquot.
In 1801, Philippe Clicquot retired and gave control of the business to his son, François. Louis Bohne returned to Reims in 1803 with many orders from big merchants. By the summer of 1804, the Clicquot Champagne business really started to take off.
In October 1805, François suddenly became sick and died at age 30. Both Barbe-Nicole and Philippe were very sad. Philippe Clicquot wanted to close the company. However, the young widow (veuve in French) decided to take over her husband's business. She became one of the first business women in the early 1800s to run an international company.
Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin's Leadership
Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin was born in 1777, just before the French Revolution. Her father, Baron Nicolas Ponsardin, was a successful fabric maker and involved in politics. He changed his political views to go against the monarchy. Because of this, Barbe-Nicole's family was safe during the Revolution.
When Barbe-Nicole married François Clicquot, she was 21. When he died in 1805, she was 27 and had a six-year-old daughter named Clémentine. In the early 1800s, women had few rights. They could not work, vote, or earn money without their husband or father's permission. Only widows were allowed to run their own businesses in France.
When Louis Bohne returned from St. Petersburg after François's funeral, he had helped ship 110,000 bottles of Champagne in 1805. This was almost double the previous year. The Clicquot Champagne business looked promising.
Despite many people being against it, the widow Clicquot wanted to run her husband's business. She convinced her father-in-law to let her try. Philippe agreed, but only if she went through a training period. Barbe-Nicole Clicquot broke the rules of her time to become the first woman to lead a Champagne house. She trained with winemaker Alexandre Fourneaux to save and grow the business.
The Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Company
On July 21, 1810, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin started her own company: "Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin." She sent most of her Champagne outside France. But she faced problems like naval blockades that stopped her from shipping wine. Also, Czar Alexander I banned French products in Russia.
Facing financial trouble, Barbe-Nicole took a big risk. She decided to send her Champagne to Russia as soon as peace returned, before her competitors. While the war stopped most shipping, Madame Clicquot and Louis Bohne secretly planned to get a boat through the blockade to Russia.
Russians loved the sweet Champagne she made, which had much more sugar than today's sweet wines. She knew that European courts would celebrate when Napoleon was defeated. After Napoleon was sent away, both the British and Russians celebrated with Champagne.
When the French monarchy was restored, Madame Clicquot and Louis Bohne put their five-year plan into action. In 1814, as the blockades ended, the company sent a Dutch ship, the "Zes Gebroeders," to Königsberg. It carried 10,550 bottles of Veuve Clicquot Champagne to Russia. They took advantage of the confusion while competitors thought it was impossible. The ship left France on June 6, 1814. Russia had also lifted its ban on French products. All the Champagne sold quickly.
A few weeks later, another ship with 12,780 bottles went to St. Petersburg and sold out immediately. When the Champagne reached St. Petersburg, Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia, the Czar's brother, said he would only drink Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin Champagne. News of his choice spread through the Russian court.
The year 1814 was a turning point for Veuve Clicquot. With her "Vin de la comète" (meaning "comet wine"), Madame Clicquot's business became strong again. The success in Russia made the name Veuve Clicquot famous overnight. She went from being a small company to a well-known brand. In the years that followed, Russia kept buying Veuve Clicquot wines. Sales jumped from 43,000 bottles in 1816 to 280,000 in 1821. Within two years, Madame Clicquot was famous and led an international business.
Under Madame Clicquot's leadership, the company focused entirely on making Champagne, and it was very successful. Champagne also became a way to celebrate events. Veuve Clicquot helped make Champagne a popular drink for high society. It became a key part of parties in European royal courts and then among the middle class. Champagne also started appearing in cabarets and restaurants.
Madame Clicquot's Later Years
Sales of Veuve Clicquot Champagne in Russia continued to grow. Madame Clicquot decided to expand into other markets, like the United Kingdom. Edouard Werlé joined the company and traveled through Central Europe to sell more. From 1841, when Edouard Werlé officially became the head of the company, annual sales never dropped below 300,000 bottles. In 1850, they sold 400,000 bottles.
Edouard and his son Alfred continued to develop the business. They bought new vineyards. In 1877, they started using a yellow label for their wines, which was unusual for Champagne at the time. They registered the label as the "Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin" Yellow Label.
Madame Clicquot died at the Château de Boursault on July 29, 1866, at the age of 89. She is seen as one of the world's first international businesswomen. She was the first to take over a company and lead it through difficult times. She saved her wine business and made it one of the most successful Champagne houses. She also helped spread Champagne around the world.
When she died, sales reached 750,000 bottles a year. Veuve Clicquot was exporting Champagne from France to all of Europe, the United States, Asia, and other places. Veuve Clicquot had become a major Champagne house and a respected brand. Its bright yellow labels make it easy to recognize. The wine even has a royal warrant from Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
Because she made bold decisions to build her Champagne company, Madame Clicquot was called "la grande dame de la Champagne" by others in the industry. Newspapers worldwide praised her.
Edouard Werlé was Madame Clicquot's chosen successor. In August 1866, a new company was formed: "Werlé & Cie, successors to Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin." Bertrand de Mun, who married Edouard Werlé's granddaughter, joined the company in 1898 and became a partner in 1902. In 1911, under de Mun's leadership, Veuve Clicquot sold 2,000,000 bottles. The company's growth slowed during World War I.
World Wars and Modern Era
During World War I, the Veuve Clicquot cellars protected over a thousand company staff and civilians from bombings. The cellars had a hospital and a chapel. Even short plays were performed there. Today, Red Cross signs on the chalk walls still show where the infirmary and shelter were.
After World War I, rebuilding began. All the buildings were badly damaged, but they were gradually rebuilt. In 1932, Bertrand de Mun's son-in-law, Bertrand de Vogüé, joined the company. They offered benefits to their employees, like holidays, pensions, and healthcare, even before the law required it. Because of this, the company did not have strikes in 1936.
In 1963, the company became a "société anonyme," which is like a public company. Bertrand de Vogüé became chairman, and his son Alain took over in 1972. In 1987, the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy group bought Veuve Clicquot. It is still part of this group today, led by Jean-Marc Gallot.
Shipwrecked Bottles Found
In 1987, explorers found many cases of Veuve Clicquot Champagne from a shipwreck. The Canadian ship Regina sank on November 9, 1913, in Lake Huron, near Port Sanilac, Michigan. The Champagne was still sparkling and tasted excellent, though it was dark in color. The shipwreck is about 83 feet deep, where the water is cold and dark.
In July 2010, divers found 168 bottles of Champagne under the Baltic Sea off the coast of Åland. Forty-six of these bottles were Veuve Clicquot. When tasted in 2015, many were still drinkable. They were well-preserved because of the cold, dark conditions deep underwater.
Tests showed the old Champagne had much more sugar (150 grams per liter) than modern Champagne (6-10 grams per liter). This high sugar content was popular at the time, especially in Russia, which liked sweeter wines. The old Champagne also had higher levels of salt, iron, lead, copper, and arsenic. The arsenic and copper likely came from old pesticides used on the grapes. Iron probably came from nails in wine barrels, and lead from old winemaking equipment. Today, Champagne is made in stainless steel barrels, so it has lower iron and lead levels.
On November 17, 2010, the government of Åland announced that most of the bottles would be sold at auction. In 2011, a bottle of nearly 200-year-old Veuve Clicquot from the Baltic Sea sold for €30,000, setting a record for the most expensive Champagne ever sold.
Because of this discovery, in 2014, the company put 300 bottles and 50 large bottles (magnums) of its Champagne underwater at the same shipwreck location. They want to study if it ages differently underwater than on land. These bottles will be brought up in 40 years and compared to Champagne aged underground.
Oldest Bottle on Display
In July 2008, an unopened bottle of Veuve Clicquot was found inside a cupboard at Torosay Castle on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. The 1893 bottle was in perfect condition because it had been kept in the dark. It is now on display at the Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin visitor center in Reims and is considered priceless. It is the oldest yellow-label bottle in the Veuve Clicquot collection.
In 2001, Cecile Bonnefond became the first female president of Veuve Clicquot since Madame Clicquot herself ran the company.
How Veuve Clicquot Makes Champagne
Underground Cellars: Crayères
The oldest parts of the Veuve Clicquot cellars are called "crayères." These were originally chalk quarries. The Veuve Clicquot crayères are from the Middle Ages and are about 55–65 feet underground. If you lined them up, they would stretch over 12 miles. The chalk walls keep the temperature and humidity constant, which is perfect for aging wine. In the early 1900s, the company hired artist André Navlet to carve designs on the cellar walls.
The Veuve Clicquot chalk quarries are under the colline Saint Nicaise. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Champagne Vineyards
Philippe Clicquot owned the first vineyards near Verzy and Vernezay. François Clicquot inherited more vineyards in Bouzy from his grandmother in 1804. Madame Clicquot bought more land to expand these vineyards. She owned 99 acres of high-quality vines around Bouzy, Vernezay, and Verzy.
When she bought vineyards, she only chose land that was rated 100% on the "échelle des crus" (a system for rating vineyards). When asked about her wines, she said, "we have only one quality, the finest." This is still the company's motto.
Madame Clicquot spent as much time as possible in the vineyards. Even though she led the company, she was very dedicated to making wine. Between 1872 and 1873, Alfred Werlé bought 99 acres at Le Mesnil and added 30 acres to the Bouzy vineyards. In one year, he doubled the company's vineyard holdings. Alfred bought even more land in 1884, totaling 123 acres. He also bought vineyards from Duchesse d'Uzès to bring them back into the company.
Bertrand de Mum continued to expand the Veuve Clicquot vineyards. The last purchases were 61 acres at Saint-Thierry between 1967 and 1975.
Today, the company owns 971 acres of vineyards. Fifty-five percent of Veuve Clicquot's vineyards are rated as Grand Cru, and 40% are Premier Cru. The vineyards grow 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, and 5% Meunier grapes. The company also buys grapes from 400 different suppliers, some of whom are descendants of the wine growers who sold grapes to Edouard Werlé.
Innovations in Winemaking
The bubbles in Champagne come from sugar and yeast in the grapes. When they mix, they create carbon dioxide. In the 1800s, winemakers did not add extra sugar or yeast for a second fermentation. There was only one fermentation, which made the bubbles unpredictable. Sometimes, the wine kept fermenting even after it was shipped.
After the yeast finished eating the sugar, it left sediments in the bottle, making the wine cloudy. To make it clear, Champagne makers used to pour the wine from one bottle to another. But this took a lot of time and wasted wine.
Madame Clicquot wanted to find a better way. She is famous for a big improvement in Champagne making that allowed it to be produced in large amounts. With help from her cellar master, Antoine de Müller, she invented the riddling table ("remuage") in 1816. This method makes cloudy Champagne perfectly clear.
Instead of pouring wine between bottles, she kept the wine in the same bottle. The bottles were turned upside down, causing the yeast to collect in the neck. The riddling rack looked like a wooden desk with round holes. Bottles were placed upside down in these holes. For six to eight weeks, a cellar assistant would gently shake and twist the bottles (remuage). They rotated them a quarter-turn each day to move the sediments to the bottle's neck. Once this was done, the cork was carefully removed, the sediments were taken out, and a special liqueur (a mix of still wine and sugar) was added. This technique made Champagne crystal-clear. These methods are still used today, with some small improvements.
The riddling rack made the dégorgement process faster and cheaper. Not only did the Champagne's quality improve, but Veuve Clicquot could produce it faster. This allowed them to export large amounts worldwide, giving them a big advantage over competitors.
Veuve Clicquot is also known for making the first blended rosé champagne in 1818. Ruinart was the first to sell rosé Champagne in 1764, by adding elderberry juice. Barbe-Nicole made rosé Champagne by adding still red wine to her sparkling wine. Today, rosé Champagne is still made by adding pinot noir.
The Champagne Making Process
Different types of grapes are picked by hand. Great care is taken to keep the grapes whole until they are pressed. After pressing, the juice goes into fermentation vats. The first fermentation takes about eight days. Then comes the art of blending. Still white wines are mixed with reserve wines.
When the blend is ready, special yeasts and sugar are added to increase the final alcohol content. This is the second fermentation. The bottles are placed in a cool cellar to ferment slowly. This creates alcohol and carbon dioxide, which makes the bubbles. This usually takes four to six weeks. Veuve Clicquot Champagnes are aged longer than required by law. They stay in the cellar for at least 30 months. The company's special vintage Champagnes are aged for five to ten years.
During the riddling process, sediments gather in the bottle's neck. They are removed during the disgorgement step. The bottle's neck is dipped into a very cold liquid. When the bottle is opened, the frozen sediment is pushed out by pressure, with very little loss of wine or pressure. A mixture of wine, brandy, and sugar is added to adjust the sweetness of the wine. This makes it dry, sweet, or somewhere in between. Finally, the bottles are corked, labeled, packed, and shipped.
The company received a sustainability certification in 2014.
Two hundred years after it started, the company launched its "La Grande Dame" Champagne in 1972. It is made from the company's best Grand Cru vineyards, using pinot noir and chardonnay grapes. In 2008, cellar master Dominique Demarville decided to change the blend to almost 100% pinot noir. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label is a mix of 50 to 60 different crus, made of pinot noir (50%), meunier (20%), and chardonnay (30%). This Champagne is aged for 36 months.
"Rich" Champagne was released in June 2015. After three years of aging, 60 grams of sugar are added to make it very sweet. In 2017, Veuve Clicquot released its first very dry Champagne, the "Extra Brut Extra Old" cuvée. This Champagne has very little sugar added. It is aged twice and made only from the company's reserve wines from six different years.
Company Management
- Chairman: Jean-Marc Gallot
- Cellar Master: Dominique Demarville
Company Communication
Veuve Clicquot Logo
When Philippe Clicquot first made Champagne, he just sold "champagne wine." There were no labels on the bottles. The first brand mark he used was from 1798. It had the letters "C.M. & F." for "Clicquot-Muiron et Fils." These letters were inside a design of a marine anchor, a symbol of hope, carved on the cork. His bottles were sealed with green wax with gold flecks. This green wax was the only way customers could recognize the bottles.
In 1814, Louis Bohne asked Madame Clicquot to "have a pretty ornamental design printed." This was likely one of the first labels used for Champagne.
The green wax seal was slowly replaced by foil or tinsel wrapped around the cork. In 1895, a plain metal cage was added, with the anchor logo and the letters V.C.P. In 1899, a white or yellow paper band was added to the bottle's neck, depending on the wine's quality. It got its current look four years later, in 1903.
The Famous Yellow Label
The yellow label first appeared on bottles in 1876. The company put a yellow label on its bottles to tell the difference between dry Champagne and sweet Champagne in the British market. The color of the label was officially registered as a trademark in 1877. Its use was then extended to all bottles. The yellow label appeared as people started to prefer Champagne with less sugar. In 1897, the yellow label was chosen for "brut" Champagne, which is a very dry style.
Sponsoring and Events
Business Woman Award
The Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award was created in France in 1972. This was to celebrate 200 years since the company was founded. This award honors successful businesswomen around the world. It is the first and longest-running international award for women entrepreneurs. It has recognized many successful female business leaders and celebrates their spirit, courage, determination, and new ideas. The award is now given in many countries, including Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, the United States, Norway, and Japan.
Past winners include Françoise Nyssen, Carolyn McCall, Linda Bennett, Anya Hindmarch, Anita Roddick, and Zaha Hadid.
The brand also organizes The Veuve Clicquot New Generation Award. This award recognizes successful businesswomen aged 25 to 39. It celebrates their entrepreneurship, innovation, and social responsibility. Mikaela Jade, founder and CEO of Indigital, won the Veuve Clicquot New Generation Award in 2018.
Polo Classic Events
Since 2008, Veuve Clicquot has hosted the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. These events take place each year at Liberty State Park near New York and the Will Rogers State Historic Park in Los Angeles. This yearly event often sells out, bringing in over 5,000 people to watch famous polo players.
Other Fun Events
Veuve Clicquot also organizes other events. These include the Veuve Clicquot Widow Series and events like Clicquot in the Snow and Carnaval. Carnaval takes place in Miami every year since 2012.
Images for kids
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Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin logo
