A very enjoyable book for me to read, as I discovered so much I didn't know about how champagne came to be made and named. I had no idea Barb Nicole was a real person and after reading this book, I will want to find out more about her. I also didn't know there's a movie made based on this book. It was easy to read and hard to put down for me. Pointed out how difficult it was for women to enter the business world and how impossible it was for women at that time to own their own possessions since everything seem to be the property of whom ever they married, and if that husband should die, the woman was left with very little to live on. Nicole was painted as a very interesting and complex character, although not always likable with her stubbornness and aggressive drive. Without those quality she maAs a wine maker. The fact that she was born with a nose for discerning, both odors and wines, and considered it both blessing and curse, the book carried out that theme very well. The only thing I found rather curious in the reading was some of the language: for example, I am not sure when the word nWas accepted into the English language, but I didn't find it at that century. One character invites another for a nightcap. The side plot of Napoleon, his marriage to Josephine, and the ensuing wars he won and his attempt to take over all of Europe, we're also interesting and heartbreaking to follow, but I can't say I enjoyed trials and tribulations. He faced with the red man.

I know I am not alone in planning my next trip to France in my head, even though we have no plans to do so just yet. Last time we went to Normandy and the Loire Valley, as well as Paris. Next time we go I suspect we might go back to Normandy and I would love to spend some more time in the Loire, but I would love to go to the Champagne region. Oh, and Paris! Never forget Paris.

One of the things I would love to do is visit one of the great champagne houses. After reading this book, maybe I will ensure that it is Veuve Cliquot.

Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin has grown up in the Champagne region of France, and she has inherited (genetically) Le Nez from her grandfather. Le Nez means the nose, and she is exceptionally sensitive to smells which in turn enables her to be able to smell and taste grapes and wine and be able to tell exactly how ripe they were, where they were grown etc. Her family is keen to marry Barbe-Nicole off but Le Nez is a curse, something to be hidden. Imagine having such a sensitive nose but then being sent off to marry a pig farmer? The only man that Barbe-Nicole wants to marry is her childhood sweetheart, Francois, but he has disappeared while off fighting for Napoleon.

When he returns, he is a changed man. He is haunted by the things he has seen and done, but they marry. Francois wants to make champagne and Barbe-Nicole has the perfect skills to be able to assist in this regard. When he dies, Barbe-Nicole can inherit the business, but the Napoleonic code is clear - if she remarries then all of her assets transfer to her new husband.

This is not the only way that Napoleon impacts the new widow, who is now known as Veuve (widow) Cliquot. With his never-ending march across Europe, the market for French champagne is constantly proving more challenging, bringing her into direct conflict with Napoleon. Fortunately, Barbe-Nicole's chief sales manager is a very canny and clever man who finds a way. With Barbe-Nicole's talent, sheer hard work and determination and Louis' ability to make a sale, they persevere, sometimes more successfully than others.

Years ago I did a wine tasting in California where they talked to us about how you can have different tasting versions of the same type of wine depending on where the grape grew. The harder the vine had to work to survive, the more robust the flavour, and I think this is probably a good way to describe Barbe-Nicole. She had to struggle against her families wishes, against societal expectations, against nature, war and more, but she persevered and today Veuve Cliquot is one of the most famous brands of champagne in the world!

Whilst this is ostensibly Barbe-Nicole's story, it is interspersed with aspects of Napoleon's coalition wars, which provides interesting context for the rest of the story.

I also loved the humour in this story, including the names of each chapter which are sayings that are presented in both French and English. For example, one chapter's title is "Un barbe ne fait pas le philosope" which translates as "A beard does not make a philosopher."

A note about the cover.... I think it is a really fun cover. It gives off 1920s party girl vibes to me, which is great except...this book is not 1920s vibe. So this is definitely a case of don't judge a book by it's cover. Although it would have caught my eye in a bookstore, so it works from that aspect.

I have the next Champagne Widows book here to read at some point. It is called Madame Pommery, Creator of Brut Champagne. I am looking forward to reading it.

I am sharing this post with my fellow participants of Paris in July, hosted at Words and Peace, and Foodies Read, hosted at Based on a True Story.

The kind of research that goes into telling a story like this is admirable. I imagine it must feel, in the author's mind, like picking up a thread and then following it to find where it starts.
Because yes, people should care a little about the history of their celebration staples.

Interesting historical fiction about the important role of women in the champagne industry in the early 1800s during the Napoleonic Wars and the challenges they faced.

What a remarkable account of an amazing woman! I want to be like Barbe-Nicole when I grow up! I love how she stood for what she believed in and worked to keep what was rightfully hers whether or not the government supported her. I have a deep appreciation for her will to overcome the obstacles she faced as a widow to make a name for herself that we all know centuries later.

I started this book, but life got in the way. So tonight I picked it up again with thoughts to read a bit before bed. Holy Cow!! I couldn’t put it back down!
This book is brilliantly written! The format is exceptional! I loved how historical data is written in and made so entertaining. I learned so much about France under Napoleon without even realizing I was being taught. The characters came to life around me.
A brilliant book by a brilliant author!!
#ChampagneWidows #NetGalley

Champagne Widows by author, Rebecca Rosenberg

Review~

What do Veuve Cliquot and Napoleon have in common? Well, Barbe-Nicole of course. Her story, front and center, within this extremely well-written novel tells the true tale of her place within history during the 1800's~ her struggles and accomplishments within both her family-life, and for business in a world not yet ready for her savvy and determination.

The author has written 'The Grande Dame of Champagne' herself, along with detailed and most intriguing historical aspects in a way that allows the reader to experience a journey of adversity, loyalty, loss and survival in a most unique and entertaining way.

I couldn't help but be absorbed by the sheer knowledge and fictional twists within this story that immediately led me on a path to the captivating and compelling.

Ms. Rosenberg has gifted the reader with a fascinating journey in her creating of CHAMPAGNE WIDOWS, and I thank her for the opportunity to experience it all!

5 Stars
Wild Sage Book Blog

#ChampagneWidows @rebeccarosenbergnovelist #LionHeartPublishing

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but when I do, I don't want it to be a topic everyone else has written about. I also prefer if the story is about a strong female character. This book fit the bill on both accounts. Barbe-Nicole doesn't take merde from anybody. She doesn't watch her diet, she speaks her mind, she doesn't want an arranged marriage. These traits don't endear her to her family and the people she does business with, neither does her "nose".. She has inherited "Le Nez", an extremely sensitive sense of smell,, from her grandmother, who in turn had inherited it from her father.. However, the females in the family consider it a curse.

As is typical with every war, life must go on while the men are away and the women step into roles they wouldn't normally have. Barbe-Nicole keeps the family's wine business afloat and eventually turns the business into Cliquot, the champagne house.

There are so many colorful characters in the book. Barbe-Nicole's family deals regularly with Napoleon. You'll learn more about wine and champagne than you might have ever wanted to know.

I really enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

Get yourself a copy of this book. Pour a glass of chilled champagne and enjoy!

“Champagne. In victory one deserves it, in defeat one needs it.”
Napoleon Bonaparte

Ah, champagne! Who doesn’t love it? The crisp, cold, refreshing taste, the bubbles that tickle your mouth awake, the way its presence elevates any occurrence into an occasion.

We owe the pleasure of this delightful beverage to a bunch of Benedictine monks, including Dom Pérignon. But a sip of champagne would be a much lesser experience if not for Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, who mastered the old techniques and invented new ones, thus perfecting the quality of each bottle produced.

This is the story of Madame Cliquot, née Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin. Most people, however, know her as Veuve Cliquot, the widow responsible for developing the family wine business and for vastly improving the process of producing champagne. Or perhaps you know Veuve Cliquot as the name of a delicious champagne, still produced and sold under the Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin label (now owned by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton).

The young Barbe-Nicole and her grandmother have a close relationship, strengthened by the fact that they share an inherited family gift: Le Nez. Both women have an extremely sensitive nose, capable of picking up the faintest smells and differentiating between nearly-identical scents. This is why Grandmère has educated and tested Barbe-Nicole’s sense of smell, why she passes to Barbe-Nicole her Great-Grandpère’s tastevin (wine-tasting cup worn on a chain like a necklace), and why Grandmère leaves her vineyards to Barbe-Nicole.

Of course, there are also disadvantages to having such a sensitive nose, especially in France in the late 1700s. Good sanitation and personal hygiene are simply not available, or are at least impractical for most people, and so the world is a very stinky place. Moreover, her Maman is frustrated that Barbe-Nicole stubbornly refuses to even consider marrying one of the invariably stinky suitors who approach her.

Barbe-Nicole lives in a time when women have very few rights, including property rights. Even though she directly inherited the vineyards from her grandmother, her father controls them until she marries, at which time her husband takes control. Her mother explains to her that “only a widow can possess something of her own”.

With a lot of luck and a measure of cleverness, she is able to marry her neighbor and childhood friend. She and Francois Cliquot love each other, and they happily embark on their new life together, having a daughter (Clementine, called Mentine) and taking over the family winemaking operation. Barbe-Nicole, in addition to having that wonderful winemaker’s nose, is good at the business side of things. But producing and perfecting champagne becomes her focus, and the techniques she developed are still in use today.

I am focusing here on the personal life of Barbe-Nicole and on the winemaking business. But throughout the book, the history of the country and the effects of Napoleon’s subsequent leadership play a large role. France has barely emerged from the trauma of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. The huge societal changes, the many deaths, the deep fear shared by merchants and anyone with some wealth after the royals and nobles were beheaded all left the country shattered. Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité may have been just causes, but the revolution tore the country apart.

And the years of Louis XVII’s indulgences and Marie Antoinette’s extravagances drained France’s finances. Then Napoleon began his series of expensive wars of aggression, further straining the country’s resources and sending France’s remaining men away to battle. The depleted country could barely sustain the surviving businesses. And forget about purchasing champagne! The domestic market for wine had disappeared with its upper class. And the Napoleonic wars made France the enemy of its neighbors, effectively closing borders to exports from France. It was perhaps the worst of times to be in business in France, especially in the wine industry.

Napoleon himself, along with Josephine, appear in the book and even visit the Cliquot home. It is Napoleon’s order of military uniforms that saves the (now combined) wool business of the fathers of Barbe-Nicole and Francois.

The Widow Cliquot was an extraordinary person, strong, intelligent, and tenacious, and she learned to trust her instincts. She simply refused to give up, and she was fortunate that the risks she took led to the eventual success of her business. Her life was one of hard work, courage, and difficult choices, and she was lonely after her husband died. But she did achieve independence and was able to live life more or less on her own terms.

This was an interesting and entertaining story. But I do have a very nitpicky observation: Why is the book title “Champagne Widows” when there is only one widow featured in the book?

I liked this book more than I'd expected.

On one hand it was great to learn how businesses operated in Europe during the Napoleonic era and what challenges women had to tackle if they wanted anything beyond childbearing and household duties. On the other hand, the romantic plot is painstakingly beautiful - finally something other than "they lived happily ever after".

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lion Heart Publishing for an Advance Review Copy.

Detailed but confusing at times.
Many hardships endured. Very detailed about the winemaking from the temperature, the soil, the types of grapes, to the bottles it's stored in.
You will learn a lot as you take a trip into the past as the author mixes fact with fiction in this informative historical fiction book.

Pub Date: 01 Mar 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This historical fiction novel takes place in Champagne, France, in the early 1800s. Twenty-year-old Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin inherited Le Nez (an uncanny sense of smell) from her great-grandfather, a renowned champagne maker, and she wants to use her gift to make the best champagne the world has tasted.

I don't know why it took me so long to get to this book other than I keep downloading books I don't have time to read but in the end I really enjoyed it. It was very well written with interesting characters, some history and quite a bit of humour. I was impressed with the description of Barbe-Nicole's mother's hats and her flamboyant brother and I found myself wishing there were pictures. Each chapter was titled in French and English and the titles were so charming, like "He has a spider in the head" and "You are breaking my ears". Interspersed with the story of Clicquot champagne were bulletins updating Napoleon's military campaigns but they were brief which suited me fine. I came across many new words and many historical facts I was unaware of, especially The Great Comet of 1811. I highly recommend this book.

Despite the fact that this book was published in March 2022 and I'm very late reading and reviewing it, I hear it's free on Amazon Prime as well as Kindle Unlimited right now and there's also a Goodreads giveaway in the USA for the Kindle version so perhaps my timing isn't off after all! My thanks to Lion Heart Publishing via Netgalley for a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am fairly new to the historical fiction genre, but this was a fantastic read! I really enjoyed following the main character and I enjoyed her as a female lead. The author really captured what it would be like to live during these times. Just wonderful!

This book was very interesting. I really liked the characters, plot and setting. I did find it sometimes hard to keep up with the plot. Some things in the book felt unnecessary.

This book transported me straight back to France in the 1800s.I could imagine what it would be like walking through the vineyards under the sun.

I’m not a big historical fiction person, but I’m glad I gave this one a try. I liked having a feisty protagonist who was determined to succeed despite all of the challenges she was up against. A great book!

Very well written...Loved it..A book i would recommend to all women to read. Veuve Cliquot is indeed a person to take inspiration from.

Rebecca has also taken into account all the details of that era like the details of the war. The hardships, sadness, poverty associated with war, especially at present times it's just a reminder of what could be in store in the coming days.

Learning history through such novels is just enjoyable. A subject which is otherwise very dry (to me at least).

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to such a great book. I also get to read varied genre of books, thanks to NetGalley.

LOVED IT! LOVED IT! LOVED IT! Exactly the book I would recommend people to get out of the slump. I would read it 4.5 stars! Made me love historical fiction even more. Barbe-Nicole's character was amazing and I couldn't get enough.

In 1800, in Champagne, France, twenty-year-old Barbe -Niclole inherited Le Nez from her great grandfather, a renowned champagne maker. Her parents think that Le Nez is a curse and want to try to marry her off to unsuspecting suitor. Barbe-Nicole is obsessed with fulfilling her grandfather's dying wish. When she learns that her childhood sweetheart Francois Clicquot wants to start a winery, she marries him despite his mental illness.
After he commits suicide, she must deal with the difficulties of starting a winery and dealing with the Napoleonic Codes preventing a woman from owning a business. She is a brave woman and deals with many hardships. I recommend this book.

Champagne Widows is the first book I've read by Rebecca Rosenberg, and she didn't disappoint! I enjoy books written in the genre of WWII, and this one is set in France, in the famous winery country.
In the early 1800s, in Champagne France, Barbe-Nicole yearns to use her inherited gift of Le Nez (The Nose) to make extraordinary champagne. Napoleon Bonaparte had forbidden women to own a business or property, so she marries her childhood sweetheart in order to make champagne. While Napoleon waged war for 13 years to try to control Europe, the couple struggle to produce the finest champagne in the country. Eventually her husband dies, and she manages somehow to hold on to the winery.

Rosenberg provides fascinating details about winemaking and everything that goes into it: the soil, climate, barrels, glass bottles, and the various blends of grapes. All these things and more affect the smell and flavor of the wine. I could envision the grapevines, and the sweet aroma of the wines.

A very intriguing story that will keep you spellbound with each chapter. First as young Barbe-Nicole defies the culture to own her own business, and then as she works with her husband to defy Napoleon & keep their winery safe. Then, as a widow, her strong business acumen and love for her winery is inspirational.