This book was reviewed for the January issue of Bartender magazine.
By: Tilar J. Mazzeo
RRP: $20 (amazon.com)
As wine experts in Europe taste bottles of Veuve Clicquot that are almost 200 years old it is fitting to review a book that pays homage to one of the greatest surviving Champagne Houses; The House of Clicquot. Tilar Mazzeo has made it her life’s ambition to unearth the history, secrets and developments of this iconic brand, managing to create a wonderfully enriching history that outlines the rise of a ‘powerhouse femme’ throughout years of turmoil and uncertainty.
As a social history, The Widow Clicquot is a book that revels in its ability to tell the stories that slip between historical fact. The book is a heavy and detailed read; however it is incredibly enriching and charts the life of Barb Nicole from her young days during the French Revolution until her reign of power as something of a French head of state. Throughout her life, Barb Nicole not only revolutionized the Champagne industry – with state of the art techniques still vitally important today – she also influenced French foreign affairs and it is no lie to say that ‘Champagne oiled the wheels of social lubrication’, both in France and between European powers.
Mazzeo has done a tremendous job in bringing to life not only the life and adventures of Barb Nicole, but also the period through which she lived and the many triumphs of Champagne the region, and the drink.