Experience an unforgettable evening on Saturday 15th February at Cloudy Bay with a sunset screening of the brand new film Widow Clicquot. Your ticket lets you relax in our outdoor cinema and be transported to 18th-century Champagne for the inspiring true story of Madame Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, founder of Veuve Clicquot with her own part in the Cloudy Bay story.

WIDOW CLICQUOT BY THOMAS NAPPER

Widow Clicquot is based on the true story of the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (1777–1866) who, at the age of 20, became Madame Clicquot. The untimely death of her winemaker husband pits her against family, society and the ravages of the Napoleonic wars, but her fearlessness and determination help her change the Champagne industry.

It’s an exquisitely beautiful film about the woman whose vision shaped Champagne and influenced sparkling winemaking traditions around the world - including at Cloudy Bay. 

Along with the film, you’ll get to enjoy a unique menu by Jack’s Raw Bar and a complimentary glass of wine on arrival. Additional wines from our full range will be available, including the exclusive Widow’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2021 from our Founders’ Cellar collection.

Founded in 1772, Veuve Clicquot became the second-largest Champagne producer long before grapes were planted in Marlborough. But Champagne itself is a small place (in fact, it’s not much bigger than Marlborough in terms of planted vines), which makes it a challenging place for any house wanting to expand.

In the late 1980s, Joseph Henriot, the bold and visionary president of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, began his search for new wine territory in the New World. He’d met Cloudy Bay and Cape Mentelle founder David Hohnen in Paris, and David convinced him that Marlborough ought to be a stop on his trip Down Under.

After being impressed by David Hohnen’s first winery Cape Mentelle in Australia, he brought his team of experts to see what all the fuss was about down at that young Kiwi upstart, Cloudy Bay.
As you can probably guess, French winemaking experts are not easily impressed. They certainly had sceptical eyes on what we were up to, not least because the team were busy fixing the winery roof and blasting Eric Clapton at full volume.

But Kevin Judd, our winemaker at the time, knew what to do. He quietly took Joseph and his team through barrel samples, letting the wines do most of the talking. One of the travelling party, a fifth-generation Champenois, was particularly struck by what he tasted. He is reported to have remarked to Joseph Henriot the immortal words: sacre bleu, c’est magnifique, n’est ce pas?

Joseph’s mind was made up. He decided Veuve Clicquot would put down roots in Marlborough because it was exactly what Veuve Clicquot had been looking for: a place in the New World where fine wine could establish itself. They invested in Cloudy Bay and bought what became known as the Widow's Block, a tribute to Madame Clicquot that has become a key vineyard for many of our wines.
The Veuve Clicquot connection also taught us a thing or two about sparkling wine, and to this day, we use their time-honoured méthode traditionnelle to make Pelorus.

A FEW THINGS TO KNOW

• Please bring your own seat, whether it’s a bean bag, deck chair or beach lounger. There’s plenty of space on the lawn for a picnic blanket, too.
• Gates open at 7pm and the movie begins after sunset, sometime between 8:15 and 8:45pm. 
• This is a ticketed R18 event. We won’t be taking walk-ins.
• Food will be available.
• A warm layer and/or a blanket are recommended as the evenings can get cool. 
• Smoking is prohibited - and that includes vaping and e-cigarettes. 
• Cloudy Bay is a licensed venue. Strictly no BYO alcohol. 
• Please leave your dogs at home.