Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is a Champagne house founded in 1772 and based in Reims. It is one of the largest Champagne houses. Madame Clicquot is credited with major breakthroughs, creating the first known vintage champagne in 1810, and inventing the riddling table process to clarify champagne in 1816. In 1818, she invented the first known blended rosé champagne by blending still red and white wines, a process still used by the majority of champagne producers.
Portrait of Madame Clicquot and her great-granddaughter Anne de Rochechouart-Mortemart by Léon Cogniet.
Steps leading up from the Veuve Clicquot cellars, representing grands millesimes (outstanding vintages) in ascending order by year
Bottles of Veuve Clicquot ranging in size from "balthazar" (12 L) down to "piccolo" (0.188 L)
Riddling racks in the Veuve Clicquot chalk cellars
Madame Clicquot Ponsardin
Madame Clicquot, née Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, Widow Clicquot or Veuve Clicquot, known as the "Grande Dame of Champagne", was a French Champagne producer. She took on her husband's wine business when widowed at 27. Under her ownership, and her skill with wine, the company developed early champagne using a novel technique. The brand and company of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin still bears her name.
Madame Clicquot Ponsardin
Portrait of Nicolas Ponsardin, donated to the city of Reims by his daughter
Veuve Clicquot Champagne in a range of bottle sizes
