Madame Clicquot Ponsardin
Barbe- Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, born ( born December 16, 1777 Reims, † July 29, 1866 in boursault ), was a businesswoman and the first woman ever, who led a champagne house. It was often the " Grande Dame of Champagne" referred to as ( the Great Lady of champagne ) and gave the still house Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin known her name.
She married François Clicquot, whose father had founded in 1772 a champagne house. On March 20, 1799 was their only child, Clémentine Clicquot, was born. As Barbe- Nicole Clicquot lost her husband on October 23, 1805, she took over the management of the Champagne house that marketed approximately 100,000 bottles annually at that time at the age of 27 years.
The " Veuve Clicquot " (translated: Widow Clicquot ) had a lot of Business flair and considerable clout. She left at her death in 1866, a company which sold 750,000 bottles per year Europe.
They invented the process of shaking and disgorgement of champagne, which eliminated the yeast that previously clouded the bottle contents.
Much of the success was at that time a very active marketing strategy with travelers across Europe. While Europe has difficulties recovering from the Napoleonic Wars, she was able to export their champagne in the world. She presented their products at all rule courts of Europe and contributed to the spread of French savoir -vivre at. That was during a few decades until the 1870s, Russia 's most important export market. In their time already was the creation of the now famous yellow label, which enables easy identification of the mark on the shelves.
To ensure a consistently high quality of champagne, she earned numerous vineyards in the best locations in Bouzy, Verzy, Verzenay, Avize and Le Mesnil -sur- Oger.
In addition to this well-known activity, it opened on June 1, 1822 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin & Cie Bank. The banking developed excellent. Numerous companies from Reims built on the new financial institution and thus enabled the expansion policy of the champagne house.
In 1843 she left Château de boursault built in boursault where she later retired and died. Was Buried Barbe- Nicole Clicquot in the Cimetière du Nord in Reims.
Their influence on the German sparkling wine industry is also not to be underestimated. Georg Christian von Kessler worked from 1807 to 1825 / 26 in the home Veuve Clicquot (since 1810 as general manager and later as a partner) and established in accordance with this commitment in 1826 in Esslingen am Neckar, the first German sparkling wine.