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Veuve Clicquot Winery Guide

Winery Overview

One of the Champagne region’s established legends, Veuve Clicquot, has played a central role since the 19th century in marketing Champagne as the only drink of choice for celebrations and special occasions and has become the loudest spokesperson for the entire region. However, this giant house enjoyed a relatively humble beginning and was founded (almost as a hobby!) in 1772 by the wealthy merchant Philippe Clicquot-Muiron. His son inherited the small production and married Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin in 1798, and he would not live to see the house attain great heights as he died in 1805. Now in complete control, his widow (Veuve in French) set about reducing the family’s interest in their banking and textile empires and instead focusing almost entirely on Champagne production.

Her charisma and single-minded determination to produce high-quality Champagne (and nothing else!) paid massive dividends for Veuve Clicquot. Madame Clicquot is credited with establishing the brand throughout the royal courts of Europe. During the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century, Veuve Clicquot cemented itself as Champagne’s premium choice, most notably in the Royal Court of Russia! Madame Clicquot can also claim responsibility for making Champagne’s mass production possible by jointly inventing the riddling rack. This made the disgorgement, or removal of the yeast sediment, more efficient and economical and paved the way for the large-volume productions we have today.

Madame Clicquot’s death in 1866 was a great loss to the house; by this time, it was a substantial operation and a respected brand. The house remained in family control until 1987, when the LVMH group of luxury brands acquired it. Thankfully corporate ownership has not damaged the wines’ quality, especially the famous cuvee prestige, La Grande Dame. One of Champagne’s greatest wines, it astonishes all who taste it with incredible complexity, depth, and power. Veuve Clicquot is a spectacular house to visit, with its grand architecture and legacy in Champagne, a truly unforgettable foray into the area. If the region needs a wine ambassador, it knows where to look!

Champagne Wine Tour

Champagne Wine Tour

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Further Reading

Author

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James lawrence

With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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