Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin House

Look to your left, the imposing black gate that decorates Temple street is the entrance leading to the headquarters of the prestigious Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne House. It was founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron, who worked with his son François. The latter married Barbe Nicole Ponsardin in 1798. Remember her name well, because it was she who crafted the reputation this champagne house has today. Upon her husband’s passing, she took over the company at just 27 years of age, despite, as you can imagine, a great deal of opposition. She thus became the first woman to run a champagne house, and at the same time one of the first women to become a company director. As you can imagine, it was 1805, and it was very rare for a woman to reach such a high position! The company did very well. With Alexandre Fourneaux as her partner, she kept her husband’s legacy alive. She renamed the brand Veuve Clicquot, Fourneaux & Cie, then Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin in 1810. She quickly became known as the ” Great Lady of Champagne “, and continued to export her bottles throughout Europe. The anchor logo you see on the gateway was created at this time and symbolises hope. In 1810, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot presented the very first vintage Champagne. Six years later, she invented the riddling table, which was used to thin champagne and was later used by all the champagne houses. Her passion, high standards and inventiveness enabled her to make the house one of the most prestigious in Europe, and to become one of the first businesswomen of modern times. A remarkable career, honoured by the house’s emblematic and prestigious cuvée, called La Grande Dame! At the time of her death, the company was already selling over 750,000 bottles a year. The yellow label, which can be found on all the house’s bottles today, was introduced a few years later. Today, Veuve Clicquot is still one of the most prestigious houses in the world, and is part of the LVMH luxury group. The oldest bottle of the brand known to date has been found in Scotland, and dates back to 1893! It is remarkably well preserved and can be found on display at the House. It is obviously not for sale. Please note that you are in front of the headquarters, and that the visitor centre, comprising the cellars and the shop, is located a little further away from the town centre, in Albert Thomas Street. Be sure to book your visit to discover the fascinating history of this Champagne House! You might also be interested to know that a number of other champagne houses, such as Louis Roederer, Jacquart and Taittinger, are located in the same streets, most of them in magnificent private mansions.