VISIT TO VEUVE CLICQUOT

My very first press trip ever. I had to report to the Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam on Tuesday morning at half past eight. Not a bad start, right?

My travel companions were Janine Breukenhoven-Kho from Pret-a-pregnant, Karine Bloem from thedigitalistas.com, Jan Willem Huffmeijer from b4men, brand manager Moet Hennessy The Netherlands Florian Rottmann (who jumped for joy during the Germany-Brazil match that evening) and Sylvia Blazer from PR agency Coebergh.

In Style to Reims

After a cup of green tea in the brasserie, three brand new Mini Coopers were waiting for us outside the door. With screeching tires, we drove to Reims. To the vineyards of Veuve Clicquot. It was raining. Not just a little, but really pouring from the sky. From the moment we left until we arrived. That meant a lot of traffic jams along the way and the planned picnic (with lunch boxes from the Amstel hotel) in the grass in the sun was enjoyed sheltering under an open trunk somewhere at a roadside restaurant near Brussels. Oh well, it had its charm.

Among the little grapes

Fortunately, it was dry in the wine cellars. A very charming French lady guided us around. A twenty-four kilometer long wine cellar with countless bottles of Veuve Clicquot was there aging or waiting for transport. Eight percent of the annual liters of Veuve Clicquot is still done manually (the turning of the bottles). Fortunately, there are also machines, because it seems like quite a job. Fermentation, second fermentation, aging, remuage, many words and information sounded familiar from my hotel school days. And I find everything equally interesting, a trip written for me.

Like a princess

We stayed at Hotel Du Marc, the home of the Veuve Clicquot family. The driveway was already insane, the entrance breathtaking, and the butlers super nice. It was our home for one night. I got a ballroom of a room, a gigantic bed, wonderfully scented bathrobes, the most beautiful bath I had ever seen. With foam from Bulgari.

À Table

For the evening, I wore a skirt with sequins, which I have had hanging in my closet for six years, but it always does well. On top, a black top from Zara and high heels from Diane Von Furstenberg.

We took our seats in a stunningly beautiful dining room. Chandeliers, high ceilings, and a table set with crystal and silver. Next to me sat Olivier Livoir, the host who told us a lot about the house and explained the pairing with different champagnes with each course. Delicious white fish, truffle, haricots verts, bulgur, French cheese, red fruit. Everything equally tasty. And even tastier with the Veuve Clicquot champagne.

It was all very posh. Even the smoking room was stylishly decorated with a giant box of cigars (which I let pass by) beautiful art AND a TV. The men naturally wanted to sneak a glance at the football. Meanwhile, I discussed the most handsome men from the World Cup with the ladies.

Like a rose

After dinner, I danced around in my room for a bit, but when my head hit the thick white pillow, I was gone.
Breakfast was something to linger over for hours. Fresh fruit, (real!) croissants, pain au chocolat and orange juice. With a bottle of Veuve Clicquot in the back, we drove back to Amsterdam. A horror ride. So much rain and storm. But we really didn't care.

From now on, I would prefer to only drink champagne and live in that house if possible, eat with silver cutlery, and such a breakfast would also not be an unnecessary luxury. Sigh, I was in a dream for two days. It was wonderful.

Veuve Clicquot facts

– Hotel du Marc: The home of Veuve Clicquot, built in 1840, is located in the champagne capital Reims. An overnight stay is exclusive for friends, family, or business partners of the house (so I was lucky)

– Widow Nicole-Barbe Clicquot inherited the house at the age of 27 after her husband and shortly thereafter her father-in-law passed away. The ‘grande dame’ made Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin world-famous. She also devised a handy way to remove dead yeast cells from the champagne without affecting the bubbles. She also produced the first rosé champagne.

– The annual production of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is about 17 million bottles.

– The Brut Carte Jaune (the best-selling champagne) consists of 55% pinot noir, 15% pinot meunier, and 30% chardonnay.

-Veuve Clicquot owns about 515 hectares of vineyards.

– Where to buy? Nowadays available at almost every liquor store and the most common price is € 44.95

-The slogan of Veuve Clicquot is ‘There is only one quality, the best quality’.

Proost daarop!