In 1772, Phillipe Clicquot established a wine merchant business in Reims in France under the name Clicquot.  In 1775, Clicquot made history by shipping the first ever Rose Champagne. In 1805, Phillipe Clicquot's son, Francois, died of fever leaving behind a 27 year old widow ("veuve" in French) called Barbe Nicole Ponsardin. Against the tradition of the time,  Madame Clicquot started to run the business and began to establish the prestige of the Champagne House. In 1810, the House took the name Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and produced its first vintage champagne. The success and reputation of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin was established on a global scale, with a strong market presence in Russia that continued to grow until 1870 after Madame Clicquot had shipped 10,000 bottles of Champagne there in 1814. In 1866, Madame Clicquot died aged 89 but left behind a legacy of excellence and pursuit of perfection. Since 1987, Veuve Clicquot has been part of the Luis Vuitton Moet Hennessey group of luxury brands and also now owns a controlling interest in New Zealand's Cloudy Bay Vineyards.