Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin House

The House of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, a champagne legend in Reims

Behind an imposing black gate, on Rue du Temple, lies the headquarters of one of the most prestigious champagne houses in Reims, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. Its name evokes luxury as much as the story of an exceptional woman. The Reims audio-guided tour lingers before this landmark, where Champagne craftsmanship and an extraordinary destiny intertwine.

A widow who revolutionised champagne

The house was founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron, a merchant working with his son François. In 1798 the latter married Barbe Nicole Ponsardin. Widowed very young, she took over the business and made it a global benchmark, inventing techniques that remain famous for clarifying the wine. It is to this tenacious woman that the house owes its name and renown, a symbol of an entrepreneurial spirit rare for her time.

What to see

From the street, you admire the gate and the buildings of the historic headquarters, witnesses to Champagne prosperity. The subsoil of Reims also holds a fabulous network of cellars dug into the chalk, the crayères, where the bottles age at a constant temperature. The house offers discovery experiences of its history and of champagne-making, to be enjoyed with responsible tasting.

Practical information

The house's headquarters are in the centre of Reims, reachable on foot. The cellar discovery experiences take place on site and their organisation, hours and access conditions vary by period: it is advisable to enquire in advance with the house. As the cellars are dug into the chalk, access involves stairs and a constant coolness, to be taken into account depending on the visitor.

Who was the widow Clicquot?

Barbe Nicole Ponsardin, widow of François Clicquot, took the helm of the house in the early nineteenth century and made it a great champagne house, thanks notably to technical innovations that remain famous.

When was the House of Veuve Clicquot founded?

It was founded in Reims in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron, before flourishing under the impetus of Barbe Nicole Ponsardin.