Veuve is the french word for widow. A wine named Veuve Clicquot must have a storied and tragic past. An arranged marriage led to the joining of the Clicquot and Ponsardin families. These families ran successful businesses in a variety of industries like textiles, banking, and vineyards.

Wine was never the primary focus until Barbe-Nicole Clicquot (formerly Ponsardin) suddenly found herself in charge after the death of her husband, Francois Clicquot. Widows were the few women allowed to participate in business during the early 19th century in France.

Grave misfortune turned into prosperity for Barbe-Nicole as she entered into an apprenticeship with a winemaker and eventually opened the Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin Champagne House. Deft planning and foresight led to a boon in popularity for Veuve Clicquot in Russia that eventually spread to Europe and around the world.

The Veuve Clicquot brand saw many other treacherous moments throughout its young life. The cellars at the champagne house served as shelter through World War I and much reconstruction was required thereafter.

Proper planning and provisions of benefits to its employees allowed Veuve Clicquot to remain operational throughout the massive French labor strikes during the 1930s. Finally, things settled down as Veuve Clicquot was purchased by the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) group in the late 1980s.

Veuve Clicquot has come to represent resilience, class, and luxury through its history and current place in the LVMH group. Its iconic yellow labels have become a fixture at parties and celebrations throughout the world.

Veuve Clicquot represents luxury at a far more affordable price point than some other true champagnes. While resting at a more accessible price, Veuve Clicquot leads the industry with its innovative processing and high-quality vineyards.

While less expensive than many true champagnes (law requires these be produced in the Champagne region of France), Veuve Clicquot is not the cheapest offering available. How does Veuve Clicquot land at this $50 - $75 range? Are there pricier versions available? What compares to Veuve Clicquot? Let’s get to the answers.

Veuve Clicquot has perfected the art of mass producing champagne. Producing over 1.5 million cases per year dwarfs the production of many other champagne houses in the region. Some “larger” productions in the area are producing around 6,500 cases. This disparity could allow Veuve Clicquot to charge a little less per bottle than some others with smaller profit margins.

Veuve Clicquot focuses its attention on the Pinot Noir grape. There are other varietals involved but Veuve Clicquot is committed to the hearty nature of Pinot Noir. 95% of the vineyards growing grapes for Veuve Clicquot are Grand Cru and Premier Cru, meaning they are the best quality possible. The quality going into the product represents reasoning behind being pricier than some other champagne options.

Brought to market in 1972 as a 200-year anniversary celebration, the Veuve Clicquot “La Grande Dame” represents the pricey bottle. Typically found around $200 per bottle it certainly outpaces the rest of the Veuve Clicquot line when it comes to price. La Grande Dame is the prestige cuvee - the cream of the Veuve Clicquot crop.

Speaking of 200 years, a bottle found in a shipwreck from sometime around 1825 was sold in 2011 at auction. The oldest bottle featuring the iconic yellow label is on display in the visitor center at the Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne House. It is believed to be from the 1893 vintage.

Veuve Clicquot is a popular champagne but is not the only option available. There are many champagnes in a similar price range and some that are less expensive. Here are some options that may not be so familiar to those outside of France.

Finding a less expensive alternative can be challenging as Veuve Clicquot is well-respected regarding taste. Here are a couple of  inexpensive options that have been mentioned in the same breath as the Yellow Labeled champagne.

Name

Average Price

Food Suggestion

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut

$58

Shellfish, Crab and Lobster

Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old

$79

Shellfish, Crab and Lobster

Veuve Clicquot Rose

$67

​Meaty and Oily Fish

Veuve Clicquot Demi-sec

$56

Cakes and Cream

Veuve Clicquot Rich

$59

Shellfish, Crab and Lobster