Book Review: The Widow Clicquot

Veuve Clicquot champagne is perhaps the most recognizable wine, with its bright yellow label and elegant script. It’s a wine that exudes luxury and celebration, but also a sense of mystique and exclusivity (despite it being among the top three bestselling champagnes worldwide). It is undoubtedly recognizable, which is why when I saw this book wrapped in Veuve Clicquot’s signature yellow I grew curious about the story behind the bottle.

“The Widow Clicquot” by Tilar J. Mazzeo is primarily a biography of the women who established one of the world’s leading champagne houses. It follows her life from birth to death, but focuses primarily on her struggle to establish champagne as a luxury wine during the French Revolution, a time why luxury was being protested by the masses. The tale of the Veuve (French for “Widow”) shows that while she was born into aristocracy, it proved to be of little benefit during a war which condemned the elite. Upon her husband’s death, she took control of the family’s champagne business and she soon lost almost all of her riches by investing in the failing company. Obviously there is more to the story, otherwise we would not all recognize the fabulous yellow label that has become so iconic today.

The story primarily focuses on the Veuve’s unlikely place as a businesswoman, entrepreneur, and industry leader. Through grit and determination, she overcomes not only the obstacles of business, but the obstacles that come with being a women in business during a time when it was unheard of. Her deliberate thinking and uncompromised focus on the company’s success leaves little room for fun asides, which, as a reader, you would like to hope a women in the champagne business would have had. This could also be attributed to the fact that aside from account books, much of the Veuve’s life is undocumented, meaning a great majority of the story is well-research speculation.

Never-the-less, the book is easy to read and engaging, which is hard to achieve in a biography where so little is known about the person. Along with telling the story of the Window Clicquot the book gives a great introduction to the history of champagne, showing the reader how very close it came to being forgotten in history. Learning the story behind the bubbly has given me a greater appreciation for the sparkling wine. Champagne is so much more than just a bottle to open in celebration (though it can most definitely be that!). It has a fascinating history and many nuances that before reading this book I would have never known or appreciated (like that bottle of Veuve Clicquot I had last year, not knowing it was one of their finest – and most pricey – vintages! If only…). I will tell you one thing though, I can’t wait to open (not pop – apparently popping the bottle is not the correct from) my next bottle Veuve Clicquot and fully appreciate the story behind the flavor.