250 Years of Veuve Clicquot

Over the weekend I went to the Veuve Clicquot Exhibit. I was pleasantly surprised at all of the history and original documents preserved over all these lifetimes, literally. There were original documents from trademark filings, accounting books, letters, bottles with the evolution of their labels. Even a bottle recovered from the shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. In 2010 divers discovered what is now called the “cellar in the sea” and 47 bottles of Veuve were recovered, they had been down there for almost 200 years. They were corked so well that they were still drinkable when recovered. Which intrigued Veuve Clicquot and they started a 50 year aging experiment. They lowered bottles into the Baltic Sea in 2014. This shipwreck solidified the fact that the bottle design she pioneered can withstand high pressure and impact.

I admire Madame Clicqout relentlessness to keep her in-laws business going even when the brand was facing bankruptcy. Had she given up we may never have Rosé today. She is also the reason why Champagne bottles are the shape they are. I was sold on when I read during the exhibit that she was not easily satisfied, she would retry things until they were perfect to her; also the fact that she appreciated simplicity in design. Which is what I am all about, when I seen the quote on the wall, “Simplicity also has its elegance.” I was like she gets me!! It’s what I try to explain to people today and she already understood it back in the 1800’s.

Now the brand is a part of the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy brand. You can totally see and feel the LV touch sprinkled across the Veuve Clicqout branding, especially the tone of orange used and the textures.

Although the exhibit is over in Los Angeles, it will be moving around the world and if it comes to a city near you, you should definitely check it out!

Below are some images of the history explained and my reel.