There are few who enjoy wine that don’t enjoy Champagne; there’s just something about champagne that’s joyful. It’s the luxury, the history, the feeling that you’re sipping something special. To my mind the only thing more joyful than Champagne is pink Champagne. So you can imagine my utter delight that our top Champagne is a rosé, a style which was invented in 1818 by a woman, Madame Barbe-Nicole Clicquot AKA Veuve Clicquot. While Ruinart had been experimenting with rosé for some time, the method of making rosé Champagne by blending red wine into the cuvée prior to the second fermentation in bottle is credited to Veuve Clicquot, the woman who inherited her husband’s Champagne house upon his death and turned it into the iconic brand that still flourishes today. Her blending method is also the most common way that rosé champagne is made today. When you’re raising a glass this Christmas, make sure to toast Mme Clicquot and champagne; liquid joy, whatever the colour.