First published 2008
Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin transforms from grieving widow into champagne mogul in this business biography by Tilar J. Mazzeo. The author chronicles how this determined woman took control of her late husband's struggling wine business and built it into a global empire. Mazzeo weaves together the technical complexities of champagne production with the personal story of a remarkable entrepreneur navigating the social constraints of early 19th century France. The book reveals both the meticulous craft required to produce this finicky wine and the business acumen that made Clicquot a household name. Readers discover how one woman's vision and persistence created a lasting legacy in luxury goods while challenging the gender expectations of her era.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, business, entrepreneurship, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: determined-woman, gender-expectations, overcoming-adversity
Setting: France
Period: 19th-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Harper Business