Weekend Cooking: Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg

 

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. 

Weekly meals

Saturday - Out for dinner
Sunday - Fennel Pork roast and lemon and oregano potatoes
Monday - One Pot Pastitsio
Tuesday - Enchiladas
Wednesday - Pepper Beef Pie
Thursday - Takeaway
Friday - Eggs, bacon on toast

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page