The life and times of Madame Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin Paperback – January 1, 1961

The story of Madame Clicquot Ponsardin (1777-1866) and of the development of champagne using a new technique known as riddling is told here with wry elegance by Princesse Jean de Caraman Chimay.This is the 1961 edition (in English) of Widow Clicquot's life, 53 pp in card wraps, illustrated by Drian, with an introduction by Evelyn Waugh. No translator is noted and part of the lore associated with this little book is that Waugh largely rewrote Chimay's original work.This, apparently, was never released in hardback. Several variations to the cover have been noted, including black type on a white background and a green-brown hatched pattern.Madame Clicquot didn't invent champagne (nor did Dom Perignon) but she was instrumental in its refinement and marketing. Of particular interest is the fact that his young woman, a widow at 27, helmed a large and successful business for many years. As Waugh explains "The Widow was the first of her sex to take over the management of an essentially masculine trade and, struggling through hazardous times, to emerge in triumph."TABLE OF CONTENTSYouthFirst Steps in BusinessMadamme Clicquot in RheimsThe End of NapoleonThe Marriage of Clementine-Comte Louis de ChevigneEdouard Werle Chateau de Boursault