From the iconic yellow label to the consistent ranking among top-selling Champagnes in the world, Veuve Clicquot is a bit of an institution in the modern wine world. But the chateau was near ruin throughout the Napoleonic wars. After the death of her husband, it took a series of risks by his 27-year-old widow (Veuve in French), Barbe-Nicole Cliquot Ponsardin, to bring the Champagne house back from the brink of bankruptcy.
Her story is told in a book titled “The Widow Cliquot” written by scholar, winemaker, and professor, Dr. Tilar Mazzeo- who is originally from Port Charlotte. Dr. Mazzeo will be in Naples for a sold-out book signing at the Wine Store on Central Avenue Friday night, but we had the chance to speak with her before that event.