the wooden spoon – a travel/photo blog

With our time left in Europe coming too quickly to a close, we hopped over to the city of Reims, located in northeastern France, an historic city known as the unofficial capital of the Champagne region, the city where Kings of France were coronated and an important site of battles during WW1 and WWII. This trip, however, was to focus on our favorite bubbles – Veuve Clicquot – and the person who made it happen.

Alright, darling. Buckle up, because this isn’t just a boring history lesson about a bottle of bubbly. No, this is the story of how one seriously fierce French widow sparkled her way into the history books — in heels, with guts, and a whole lot of champagne. This is the tale of Veuve Clicquot, the Beyoncé of the wine world before Beyoncé was even an idea.

Once Upon a Time in Reims…

So, picture this: it’s the late 1700s in France — powdered wigs, horse-drawn everything, and wine flowing like… well, wine, back when people wore wigs for fun and bathing was optional. A guy named Philippe Clicquot starts a little wine house in Reims, France, probably thinking, “Let’s make some decent bubbly for the neighbors.” Nothing too extra. His son François joins the biz and marries this ultra-smart, stylish woman named Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin. Sounds fancy already, right?

Everything’s champagne and roses… until François up and dies. Tragic, yes, but also kinda the origin story of what’s about to be the most iconic rebrand in beverage history. At the age of 27 — barely out of her corset — Barbe-Nicole is now a widow. Or, in French, a “veuve.” Most women at the time would’ve gone full Victorian grief-core and disappeared into lace and melancholy. But not our Barbe Nicole.

Instead, she pulls off what is, frankly, the original boss move. In 1805, at just 27, she takes over the whole operation — as a widow. And back then, widows weren’t exactly getting invited to run businesses, let alone international champagne empires. But she’s like, “Step aside, boys — I’ve got bubbles to make.” Barbe-Nicole didn’t ask. She just did.

And suddenly, she’s running the whole show — in an industry full of crusty old men and zero patience for lady entrepreneurs. But does she care? Absolutely not. She’s got vision. She’s got guts. And most importantly, she’s got taste.

She Literally Changed Champagne Forever

So, here’s the sitch: back then, champagne was cloudy. Not cute. People drank it anyway, but it looked more like fizzy pond water than Instagrammable gold. Our girl was not having it. She invents the riddling rack — yes, invented — a clever contraption that helps sediment slide neatly into the bottle’s neck. Shake it, twist it, flip it — boom. Clear champagne, darling.

Today, every decent bottle of champagne you’ve ever sipped has used her method. Madame Clicquot basically engineered your New Year’s Eve.

Still not impressed? Okay, get this: in 1810, she launches the first-ever vintage champagne. Until then, winemakers were just mixing whatever grapes were lying around like a sad sangria. She’s like, “Let’s only use grapes from one fabulous year and make it luxe.” The wine world gasps. She sets a whole new standard. Again.

Champagne on the Down Low (and Over the Border)

Now let’s talk about one of her boldest moves. In 1814, while Europe was a hot mess thanks to Napoleon and his drama, Madame Clicquot pulled off a champagne smuggling operation. That’s right. SMUGGLING.

There’s a trade blockade, Russia’s being extra vigilant, and no one’s allowed to ship goods. But she’s got champagne to sell, baby — and customers who are thirsty. So she sneaks her bottles past war-torn borders, right into the hands of Russian nobility. The Tsar himself declares her champagne the best in the empire.

Madame Clicquot: 1. The French-Russian war: 0.

From that moment, her brand becomes the champagne of royalty, rockstars (eventually), and rich people everywhere. The house becomes an empire, all thanks to her refusal to play by anyone else’s rules.

Enter the Yellow Label and Global Fame

The now-famous Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label pops up in the 19th century, bright enough to stand out at any party, and bold enough to match the energy of the woman who started it all. Today, it’s the signature bottle you spot on yachts, weddings, rooftop brunches, and probably in the fridge of someone who calls themselves a “vibe curator.”

Owned now by LVMH (you know, the same folks behind Louis Vuitton and Moët), Veuve Clicquot is basically champagne royalty. But the soul of the brand? Still 100% Madame Clicquot: smart, sharp, and not here to play small.

Rosé All Day (Thanks Again, Madame)

Oh, did we mention? She also helped make rosé champagne a thing. Before it became the official drink of brunch and poolside selfies, rosé was… well, weird. But Madame Clicquot turned it into something elegant and irresistible, blending substantial additional quantity of Pinot Noir grapes into the bubbly to create that iconic pink perfection. She was centuries ahead of #RoséAllDay.

A Toast to the Queen

So what’s the takeaway here? Every time you pop a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, you’re not just drinking champagne. You’re sipping on a legacy built by a woman who refused to stay in her lane. A woman who turned widowhood into world domination. A woman who literally changed how we make, drink, and celebrate with champagne.

She didn’t just make bubbles. She made history.

Now raise your glass, my readers. And remember — behind every great bottle of Veuve is one hell of a woman who never let the boys tell her no. 🥂

Here’s an easy way to enjoy some of those bubbles with your SO – grab a bottle of your favorite Veuve bubbly, two glasses, a comfortable blanket, some assorted stinky cheeses, a couple of dry meats shaved thin, some arugala, your kind of melon, sliced country bread and some oil of olives…go to the mountains in your vintage convertible Pony, and on a grassy stretch of that hilly climb, lay out your feast, get that WIFI working so you can jam your fave tunes, and dream of the way life could be…