With International Women’s Day on the horizon, this year’s theme, “Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress,” strikes a chord that resonates through the rolling vineyards of Champagne. It’s a realm where the narrative isn’t just about the wine—it’s about the women whose ingenuity and resilience poured foundation into the very industry we celebrate today.
At the heart of these effervescent tales is the fact that, astoundingly, it wasn’t until 1965 that French women could independently manage their assets. Unless they were widowed, they couldn’t hold a bank account. Widowhood was their unlikely gateway to entrepreneurship. These pioneering women’s stories are not just of survival but of revolution.
Veuve Clicquot: The Original Powerhouse
The first of these great widows was Veuve Clicquot. Despite many of us freely throwing around the word ‘Veuve’ as if it is a drink unto itself, there are many Veuves in champagne. Veuve means ‘Widow’ in French.
The Widow Clicquot lost her husband to illness when she was just 27 years old and had a 6-year-old daughter. This is way back in 1805! She broke the glass ceiling a couple of hundred years before we even talked about it existing!
Veuve Clicquot was a force of nature, a visionary who continued her husband’s legacy and propelled it into the stratosphere. She crafted the first vintage champagne under the glimmer of a comet, and it wasn’t just the stars aligning—it was her audacity and acumen shining bright. And if it wasn’t for her and refining the riddling technique, champagne would not be as crystal clear as it is today.
Madame Pommery: The Innovator with a Vision
Madame Pommery, another widow who refused to let her light be dimmed, sold the wool industry part of her business to concentrate solely on champagne, crafting the first Brut—a style now synonymous with sophistication.
Camille Olry-Roederer: The Glamorous Networker
Then there’s the story of Camille Olry-Roederer, who transformed a struggling house into a beacon of success. She understood that where the racehorses galloped, the elite followed, champagne flute in hand. Her strategic brilliance secured Cristal’s place in the American market—and the rest is history.
Madame Bollinger: The Resilient Innovator
We can’t forget Madame Bollinger. She steered her company through wartime. And introduced the world to Recently Disgorged champagne, an aging technique that’s like sipping from the fountain of youth.
She was the epitome of grace under pressure, a testament to the strength of women everywhere.
And she left us with this wonderful quote:
“I drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it — unless I’m thirsty.”
As we toast to these legendary ladies, let’s reflect on how they shaped a world-class industry through sheer determination and skill. They remind us that when we invest in women, we don’t just empower individuals—we elevate entire communities.
This International Women’s Day, let’s raise our glasses to the past and the future we forge when we ‘Count Her In’. Because every time we do, we’re not just sipping on champagne; we’re drinking in the spirit of progress.
Let’s raise a glass to the women who’ve made history and to those who are making it every day.
