We love Champagne

The origins of Veuve Clicquot

Madame Clicquot's life could have been typical of that of many 18th-century young ladies in France.
Born into a wealthy family, she made a good marriage to François Clicquot, who owned a Champagne business, in 1798, before giving birth to a little girl called Clémentine.

However, her natural curiosity encouraged her to take an interest in the house's affairs, and, when her husband died prematurely, she decided to take up the reins of the estate.
Her strength of character and business sense transformed her family-in-law's trade into a great Champagne House.

While her representatives travelled throughout Europe and her Champagne was shipped across the seas the world over, Madame Clicquot personally took charge of the cellars, choosing her motto as only one quality, the finest.

She invented the riddling table in order to obtain Champagne wines that were as clear, distinct and limpid as possible. She gradually acquired land in vineyards with the best crus, which are now part of Veuve Clicquot's exceptional wine heritage.

Her contemporaries already considered her as a great lady and she became known as the Grande Dame de la Champagne.

She died in 1866, in her château, surrounded by those she had loved with generosity and tenderness.
Today she holds sway over every bottle of Champagne sold by Veuve Clicquot, reigning over an empire of bubbles appreciated by all connoisseurs of excellent Champagne.

FINE Champagne magazine

There’s a very strong Champagne player in the publishing industry, a magazine specifically dedicated to Champagne. As the world´s first international Champagne magazine, FINE Champagne Magazine was launched to celebrate this unique wine and region.

Part of the Fine Publishing Helsinki Ltd, which specializes in books and magazines on fine and rare wines and wine art, FINE Champagne Magazine is true to the group’s image of luxury and style, but still thrives to keep a fresh look. Each issue has features on Champagne vintages, science, dining and up-to-date tasting notes and so on…

Visuals and photographs are key for the magazine to provide an all round experience for the reader/viewer, half way between a magazine and a coffee table book.

FINE Magazines are six luxury magazines targeted to the most affluent and available only in the US and in Europe. Proof is you receive a free copy of FINE Champagne Magazine when you buy a Bentley, when you get an American Express Platinum Card or when you go to any Les Sources de Caudalie Spas around the world!

The latest addition, FINE Wine Investing Magazine, was launched in late spring 2009 in Hong Kong.

They combine professional articles with visually stunning pictures. Contributors for each issue are selected from Champagne professionals from around the world to bring in their points of view on the topics dealt in each issue. The Magazine is distributed in over 50 countries.

On top of the magazines, Fine also publishes books focused solely on fine and rare wines and came up with the unique FINE Wine Bar concept: the only bar in the world to offer fine vintage wines by the glass. The first FINE Wine Bar was opened in February 2008 at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.

Scarlett Johansonn, the Moet muse

 

The Moet House of Champagne has had a new Muse for six months now, Scarlett Johansonn.
Moet had a stroke of genius when choosing the Hollywood actress and was the first Champagne House to ever be that bold.
It didn’t come as a surprise though as Moet was already very much associated with the cinema glittering industry and parties (more of this on the Moet website: www.moet.com).

Frédéric Cumenal, the Moet CEO, was said to be extremely pleased by this partnership, especially relevant since Scarlett Johansonn embodies glamour, spontaneity, generosity and a way of living life to the fullest (unlike Moet).
In a gushing speech about the actress, he continued: 'She, like Moët, has a magical story to tell and makes people dream.

Scarlett Johansson became the first actress and therefore the first Ambassador ever for a Champagne House and will, undoubtedly be delighted with the free flowing champagne that will come her way as part of her role.
“I am honored to have been chosen as their ambassador and to make history with the brand, as the first celebrity face of champagne,” the 24-year-old actress has said. “Moet and the movies both tell compelling stories and share authentic emotions with the world.”

Renowned photographers Met Alas and Marcus Piggott shot the campaign keeping Moet’s spirit of celebration alive.
Miss Johansson clearly demonstrated her bubbly side (as if any reassurance was needed) when showing off her fancy footwork while holding a Champagne glass between her toes. 

It’s another endorsement milestone for the LVMH group (Champagne Moet, Dom-Perignon, Ruinart, etc…) after Eva Herzigova joined the Dom Perignon Rosé cause and Karl Lagerfeld alongside Claudia Schiffer embodied “Le Dom Perignon”.

Sources:  Just Jared, Le Vif, Daily Mail