It’s Women’s History Month, so I’d like you to learn about Veuve Cliquot (also one of my FAVORITE champagnes!)
Madame Clicquot was born in Reims in 1777. As the daughter of Baron Nicolas Ponsardin, her social standing allowed her to obtain an excellent education, founded upon the traditional morals and values of the time.
In 1798 she married François Clicquot, son to the founder of the Maison Clicquot. François shared his passion and knowledge for champagne creation and distribution with his young wife. It was because she had spent this time at his side that Madame Clicquot was able to take the reins of the family champagne house after the untimely death of François in 1805.
In an era when women were excluded from the business world, she dared to assume the head of the company, a role she undertook with passion and determination. Madame Clicquot’s character might be summarized with two words: audacious and intelligent.
What were the main difficulties for Madame Clicquot when she took over the business in 1805?
Both her age and the simple fact of being a woman. Things unfortunately have not change much!
At 27 Madame Clicquot became one of the first businesswomen of modern times when she took over the business established in 1772 by her father-in-law. Imagine the audacity of this decision at a time when women were not even allowed to open their own bank account!
She would seize each new opportunity that arose, willing to take risks, and as such she was able to expand her business to all four corners of the world. Uncompromising when it came to the quality of her wines, she perfected new techniques of production. She invented the “table de remuage” (riddling table) to clarify champagne and innovated the very first blend of rosé champagne. Within just a few years she made her name into a brand of excellence, a name today renowned throughout the world. Even then, her peers recognized her formidable contributions, and referred to her as the “Grande Dame of Champagne.
Note: I had my Champagne Master Level exam this week, so I was not able to write an article this week. So, all of the above information is from the official Veuve Cliquot website Homepage | Veuve Clicquot
Since the very beginning of the company, Philippe Clicquot and his son stated their ambition to “cross borders”. Madame Clicquot used to say “I want my brand to rank first, from New York to Saint Petersburg”.
Now Veuve Cliquot, part of the LVMH family of luxury brands, sells throughout the world and the signature yellow bottle is a recognizable sign of quality.
AND…..the brand works to help female entrepreneurs in the spirit of Veuve Cliquot’s success in the face of challenges.
In 2019, the Maison reinforced its support to female entrepreneurs by launching an international program: Bold by Veuve Clicquot, a program to increase women entrepreneurs’ visibilty.
Bold by Veuve Clicquot is a program designed to help improve inclusion, impact, and visibility. Built through key events across the world all year long, Bold by Veuve Clicquot supports women entrepreneurs and gives them a voice, encouraging future generations to be even more audacious.
