The Veuve Clicquot Mini Fridge, and the Story of an Iconic Yellow

by Annie Scott (RSS feed)
Aug 16th 2010 at 2:01PM

What could be more festive than a Veuve Clicquot Mini Fridge?

Veuve Clicquot has many a holiday package in store for you this coming season, but in this case, Christmas has come early. This charming little "Le Fridge" case retails for $44 (bottle included) and is available now if you can manage to find one. It's a gift that keeps on giving; this reusable champagne bottle holder can keep your Clicquot cold for up to two hours. The retro design features a glossy plastic cover in Veuve's iconic yellow with a silvery handle, and is engraved with the Veuve Cliquot logo in silver.

A bit more about that iconic yellow: did you know why it was chosen? Back in the 1860s, Madame Clicquot wanted to create a special champagne for the British, as their tastes tended to be dryer than the French. To distinguish it from her classic Ponsardin, at the suggestion of a British retailer, Veuve Clicquot darkened the then-white label, but everyone complained that you couldn't really tell the difference in the dark, or distinguish it from another white-labeled bottle which was dirty after some time in the cellar. So, in the spring of 1876, Madame Clicquot's business partner Edouard Werle chose the particular yellow you see today; an ingenious move which has led us all to be able to spot Veuve Clicquot from across the room.

Doesn't all that just make you want to drink some champagne?

Tags: champagne, le fridge, madame cliquot, veuve clicquot