I really enjoyed this story about Veuve Clicquot, Barbe-Nicole, the woman who made this winery into one of the world’s finest champagne houses. Barbe-Nicole has the “curse of Le Nez’” a highly sensitized sense of smell. She is able to use this to determine the best mixture of taste for her champagne. Veuve means widow, and when her husband Francois, dies, Barbe-Nicole continues through various hardships to maintain and grow the winery with the help of many other women.
Meanwhile it is the late 1700s / early 1800s and Napoleon is gaining power while sacrificing so many in his conquests. He forbids the sale of champagne to Russia but Barbe-Nicole defies him, and wins.
This was a highly entertaining look at the history of this industry.
#ChampagneWidows #NetGalley

Beautifully written historical based story on Barbe-Nicole Clicquot,a young woman coming of age in the 1800's during the reign of Napoleon. Barbe-Nicole was blessed to be born with the famous La Nez aka the nose. Barbe-Nicole inherited this special talent from Fer grandmother and great grandfather. Within she can smell the subtle undertones in the grapes to blend the perfect wines and champagnes. Trained by her grandmother she dreams of owning a we inert and doing just that...but during that time women did not have the rights that me did. She overcomes many struggles including her husband's mental issues. She overcomes and finally succeeds in producing and markets fine champagnes.

Fascinating historical fiction based on the story of how a passionate and determined Barbe-Nicole Clicquot defied Napoleon, beat inane laws, tussled with Mother Nature, and tapped in her extraordinary sensory gifts to create an empire.

Author Rebecca Rosenberg has a knack for delving into the stories of intriguing women, and Clicquot is no exception. She’s tenacious, and at times, loveably hapless. She has a great head for business, incredible instincts, and a heightened sense of smell that allowed her to create extraordinary champagne, and to read people and situations.

Fans of The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristen Harmel will also enjoy Champagne Widows, as it delves into the process of harvesting grapes and storing and bottling the wine, along with a downright entertaining history lesson of Napoleon’s quests. Oh, and there is plenty of levity, showstopping scenes, and romance too -- a delight for all the senses.

With plenty of flashpoints, Champagne Widows promises to be the toast of the book club season!

A special thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a candid review.

When a woman married, her husband took control of her assets. She had babies and stayed home. But Barbe-Nicole had dreams of making wine. She had the ‘nose’ for it, a keen sense of smell inherited from her grandmother who was a wine maker. Her parents wanted to arrange a marriage that left her well situated, but Barbe-Nicole would not give up her childhood friend and love, Francois Clicquot . Even when he returned from the Napoleonic War emotionally damaged, she insisted he was her choice. He was to learn his father’s wool business, but he hated the work. The pair proposed taking over his father’s side business; together, they would create the best wine in Champagne.

Barbe-Nicole has the determination, work ethic, and skill of any man. And after she is a widow, she carries on to support herself and her daughter. She goes into business with the man her father had chosen for her to marry. She depends on the German salesman hired by her late husband and her workers made up of war widows and soldier’s wives.

The Napoleonic Wars ruined the economy, stopping trade across Europe, and killing millions of men and civilians. The Russian court fell in love with Berthe-Nicole’s sweet champagne wine, but getting the bottles across war-torn Europe is nearly impossible. And, illegal after Napoleon and the Tsar go to war.

Readers will be swept up by Barbe-Nicole’s story of loss and survival. She is a delightful character, a woman who loves sweets and life and her family but works in the fields, stands up to power, and sacrifices everything for success.

The political background is fascinating. The disposed king has his supporters who wish to restore a monarchy rather than suffer under a power-hungry Emperor who robs their country of men and wealth for his endless wars, leaving behind relentless suffering.

The period detail is fascinating. Barbe-Nicole’s mother loves a green that could only be made with arsenic on the fabrics. With Barbe-Nicole’s love of sweets, I salivated over the pastries she indulges in.

Wine making is Barbe-Nicole’s main concern and readers will learn all that goes into a fine bottle of wine. Rosenberg is a champagne historian, tour guide, and champagne cocktail creator for Breathless Wines.

This is a book about control of one’s destiny. Barbe-Nicole and Francois, Napoleon, the people of France, all fight for what they want in life. Barbe-Nicole’s father switches loyalty to survive, while her dandy brother agrees to an arranged marriage to protect his sexual orientation.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased,

This book goes into many different aspects of an adults life but I did like how it touched on suicide since many adults face it and go through it, but of course it won’t stop them and I appreciate how the author handled grief and pain and letting go in this book. I thought it was written beautifully and written really well! 5 out of 5 stars!

With crisp writing, Rebecca Rosenberg serves us the sparkling story of Veuve Clicquot, an independent woman of indomitable strength, determined to find her way in a man’s world. Champagne Widows is vintage storytelling. Jean M. Roberts, author of The Heron

Barbe-Nicole was born with Le Nez (the nose). Her grandmother told her it was a special gift. Would it help her achieve her dream? Barbe-Nicole was a strong willed woman who wanted more out of life than an advantageous marriage. She wanted to partner with her husband and blend wonderful champagne. She hoped to honor her grandmother, but her journey was filled with loss and pain. She married her true love and lost him to soon. She finds that being a widow she must fight twice as hard to be accepted. Barbe-Nicole has the determination and strength required to overcome these obstacles. For seventeen years Napoleon and his wars destroy the French economy and conscript all able bodied men to fight. The people are starving. I was amazed how Barbe-Nicole struggled on. She was an amazing woman. She was unstoppable. She gave up love for business success and built an empire. I was intrigued by The Red Man of Destiny who guided Napoleon. To me he personified evil and death. He was the power behind the throne. Rebecca Rosenberg made history come alive. Her characters leap off the page. I couldn't put down Champagne Widows. Barbe-Nicole's life was amazing.

Champagne Widows is an inspired story based on the real-life Grande Dame of Champagne, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, who built her famous champagne empire amidst the turbulence of 19th century France. Barbe-Nicole is my kind of heroine: a woman with passion, courage, family loyalty, and a killer business sense. Rebecca Rosenberg's sensual details make every scene of this intimate novel come alive. A true reading pleasure!

This was a fascinating story of a true woman who took over her husbands winery in the late 1700s and created some of the best Champagne ever. She did this all during horrible times in France when Napoleon was destroying the economy and getting thousands of men killed. This is a wonderful story that tells about what might have caused Napoleon Bonaparte to behave the way he did and shows the strength that the women of France had to have during these trying times. Great story. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

a wonderful story of a 19th century widow with a nose for champagne. when her husband dies, she has to decide if she will remarry or not, and the rules are that a woman cannot run a winery. Lots of interesting,complex and quirky characters and a wonderful story make this a page turner and a must read!

Champagne Widows, by Rebecca Rosenberg, transports the reader into the fascinating world of wine-making during Napoleon’s tumultuous reign. The author paints an inspiring portrait of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, the real-life “Grand Dame of Champagne,” whose innovative techniques, and indomitable spirit to succeed in a time when married women could not own a business, made Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin one of the most famous wine houses in the world. Impeccably researched, the novel’s attention to historical detail, exquisitely drawn characters, and beautifully written prose combine to create a fascinating story that resonates even today. Another great read from Rebecca Rosenberg.

Courtesy of the author, I received a copy of The Champagne Widows. This remarkable historical fiction tells the story of Barb-Nicole, the strong willed French woman
behind the creation of Veuve Cliquot champagne. Combining romance, passion, and politics, Rebecca Rosenberg artfully wrote a powerful and well-researched novel, diffused with unforgettable aromas, fragrances, and odors.

Rebecca Rosenberg has a remarkable talent for finding seemingly insignificant historical women who deserve to be written about. Rosenberg has written wonderful books about Charmian London, author Jack London's wife, and Elizabeth McCourt Tabor (aka Baby Doe), wife of silver prospector and US Senator Horace Tabor. In this latest work readers are introduced to Barbe-Nicole Clicquot.
Barbe-Nicole inherited a superior sense of smell. While her mother insisted it was a curse to be ignored, Barbe-Nicole was a fiercely determined young woman who wanted more than just the life of being a wife and mother. With the legacy of her renowned champagne maker great-grandfather as her compass, she embarked on a life long journey to defy the male dominated world to make the best champagne.
Rosenberg delivers this story of love and determination intertwined with historical content. Barbe-Nicole was not attempting to make champagne in a bubble but in the midst of deadly diseases, wars, and financial ruin. Napoleon cast a shadow on every decision that Barbe-Nicole had to make. Barbe-Nicole was a highly intelligent, shrewd business woman who knew that she had to circumvent the obstacles Napoleon thrust in her path if she wished to be successful. Rosenberg cleverly wrote chapters specifically dedicated to Napoleon which not only give content regarding the destruction he caused throughout Europe, but also identified the demons he himself struggled with.
This book is a tribute to all the women who became widows due to the ravages of war, disease, and despair. It is a salute to the sacrifices that women had to endure simply to survive. Rosenberg gives us a story that encompasses all of that and more. Let's all have a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne to celebrate!!
Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for a copy of this title.

Rebecca Rosenberg, author of “Champagne Widows” has written a breath-taking, captivating and intriguing novel. The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction and Historical Paris Fiction. The timeline for this novel is set around 1800 and goes to the past when it pertains to the events or characters. This novel centers around champagne and the first woman involved, and Napoleon and his conquest and wars. Rebecca Rosenberg describes her colorful characters as complex, and complicated. Some of the women are described as brave, innovative, and courageous during these times. The influence of the tragic wars also can be seen in many of the characters.

I love the way that Rebecca Rosenberg appeals to the reader’s senses as she describes the wine and champagne successes and failures. One can almost “smell” the various scents, feel the dirt and mushy grapes, see the mold, taste the bubbly champagne, and hear the bottling or breaking of glass when the temperature or nature wasn’t providing the correct conditions. The author vividly describes the characters and landscape.

The author discusses the times and that Napoleon’s rules prohibited a widow from owning the property of her husband. Laws were not equal for men and women. Women were looked down upon.

The protagonist of the story Barbe-Nicole Cliquot seemed to have a special talent of “smelling’ what would make good champagne. She married a man that she loved, even though he had emotional problems. “The Nez” as her grandmother would refer to Barbe-Nicole Cliquot’s sense of smell helped her produce the best champagne. The Russians especially loved her champagne. There were many risks getting the champagne to Russia. Now a widow, Barbe-Nicole realizes that when she falls in love again, she has to choose her winery or her man. Is there any way that she can have both?

I would highly recommend this memorable story for others to read and enjoy.