I was first introduced to Veuve Clicquot when we read The Widow Clicquot for my book club. I absolutely LOVED the book and I learned so much about the history of champagne, which made me appreciate it even more. When we met up for book club it was a given that we had to try Veuve Clicquot for ourselves. One of the things that got me fired up was the girl power in this story. Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin took over the business after her husband passed in a time where few women were in leadership positions.
This YouTube video gives you a brief overview of the the history of Veuve Clicquot:
We were able to try both the Yellow Label and Rose bottles. The Yellow Label is a perfect blend and might be my new favorite champagne. It has notes of fruit followed by aromas of brioche and vanilla. The Rose has notes of raspberry, wild strawberry and cherry and is described as elegant and sensual. I was a huge fan of the Yellow Label. I would absolutely get this again for a special occasion.
Here is a painting of the Grande Dame herself. You can see also see this on the cage of every bottle:
Here are a few tidbits about Veuve Clicquot that you may not have known:
- The anchor, the Christian symbol for hope and rigour, was chosen in 1798 by Phillippe Clicquot.
- Non-vintage wines are aged in the cellar for a minimum of 30 months, more than twice as long as the champagne regulations require.
- To taste Veuve Clicquot, you must keep it between 10 and 12o C, serve it around 8o C and taste it between 9 and 10o C. If the temperature is too low it will prevent the development of aromas.
- Veuve means widow (named after the Widow Clicquot).
- They were the first champagne house to produce rose Champagne.
What wines are you planning to try in 2016?
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