Champagne tasting at Veuve Clicquot

Tuesday, we spent the day at Veuve Clicquot, which you may recognize from it's trademarked yellow label.  Veuve means 'widow' in French and the champagne is so named because Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin was widowed in 1805 and went on to run the family business, making it the worldwide success that it is today.

From left:  Krystle, Michele, Rose, Elaine and Crystal - the ladies waiting at Veuve Clicquot

We were wonderfully welcomed by Mélissa who explained the history of the company, took us on a tour of the caves in Reims (but not all 23 kilometers of them!), offered us our first tasting of bubbly for the day before leaving us to shop in the boutique - a good sales tactic!

Mélissa expertly pouring 9 glasses of La Grande Dame 1998

We were then chauffeured to lunch at the one of the many châteaux owned by LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, the luxury conglomerate that purchased Veuve Clicquot several years ago).  Veuve Clicquot's 'ambassador', Edouard de Nazelle, a direct descendant of Edouard Werlé (the man to whom la Veuve left her business), welcomed us for a 5 course lunch, which began with a glass of bubbly in the gardens and then continued in the dining room, accompanied by, what else, Veuve Clicquot.  In all, we tasted 5 different champagnes from their selections.

Bubbly in the gardens!  From left: Krystle, Franck, Mélissa, Michele, Elaine, Don,  Edouard de Nazelle (and Crystal peaking out behind him)