When an 18th-century object reappears to reinvent the ritual of champagne at home…
In the history of champagne, there are objects whose mere presence speaks of an era, a way of life, an idea of elegance. The wine cooler is one of them.
Born in the 18th century, it accompanied the early days of sparkling wine, at a time when mastering freshness was a delicate art. A discreet vestige of the past, it seemed destined to remain in museums and the archives of Champagne houses. Until... Veuve Clicquot decides to make it much more than an instrument: a new ritual.
With the creative collaboration of Simon PorteJacquemusThe House unveils today, the most radiant French designer of his generation The RefresherA hybrid, sculptural object, conceived as a utilitarian work of art. A contemporary manifesto dedicated to the service of champagne.
A bold reinvention of the cold ritual
For Veuve Clicquot, innovation is never a mere exercise in style. It's a way of extending the pioneering spirit of Madame Clicquot, the woman who revolutionized champagne by creating the first riddling rack, the first vintage champagne, and the first blended rosé. Reinterpreting the wine cooler is part of this same tradition: revisiting an age-old gesture to give it renewed relevance in the art of contemporary entertaining.
The result is a sleek object comprising a champagne bucket and a glass cooler that can be used together or separately. The tray and six glasses designed by Simon Porte Jacquemus complete this set, which responds to the growing desire to experience champagne not just as a wine, but as an aesthetic experience.
Veuve Clicquot, audacity as an inheritance
It is impossible to understand this project without returning to the founding figure of the House: Madame Clicquot.
When her husband died in 1805, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot was only 27 years old. Yet she took the reins of the House, becoming one of the first businesswomen in modern history. A visionary ahead of her time, she refused compromise, created new cuvées, invented new techniques, and braved commercial and political obstacles. She, who would be nicknamed “The Grande Dame of Champagne,” had only one idea in mind: to make champagne shine throughout the world.
Two centuries later, the House continues to embody this audacity. The sunny yellow of its labels, which appeared in 1877, symbolizes this philosophy: looking to the future with confidence.
The Refresher clearly falls within this tradition. It pays homage to the Maison's heritage while asserting a contemporary vision of luxury: a tactile, handcrafted luxury, designed to last.
Camille Orfèvre: Paris's golden hands at the service of champagne
To bring this object to life, Veuve Clicquot turned to an exceptional craftsman: Camille Gras, founder of the Camille Orfèvre workshop. One of the last four Parisian goldsmiths, “Meilleur Ouvrier de France”, holder of the EPV label, he alone embodies the survival of an ancestral know-how.
His workshop, nestled in the Marais district, resembles a sanctuary of precious metals. On the workbenches: antique tools, patinated by decades of use. On the walls: pieces of solid silver, designed, hammered, and embossed by hand. Between Florence, Paris, and the École Boulle, Camille Gras has forged his vision: a living silversmithing, where tradition converses with contemporary creation.
For Le Rafraîchissoir, he conceived pieces in silver-plated metal, crafted over more than forty hours, spread across several weeks. A deliberate, almost meditative slowness, necessary for ultimate precision. Up to seven artistic crafts are involved in the creation: repoussé, polishing, engraving, enameling, silver plating, cabinetmaking, and goldsmithing.
The gouged, oiled oak handles evoke the tactile pleasure of woodworking, contrasting with the cold sheen of the metal. This interplay of materials gives the object its unique character.
Jacquemus: a radiant designer for an iconic object
The choice of Simon PorteJacquemus This is no coincidence. The designer, known for his Mediterranean aesthetic, his love of pure forms and his poetic sensibility, has infused a part of his universe into the Refresher.
It includes: a fish trompe l'oeila surreal nod to his Southern roots, round and square shapes, graphic signatures of his visual language, a sculptural approach where each element seems both functional and ready to parade.
Jacquemus doesn't simply design objects: he imagines rituals. The Refresher is part of this narrative approach, celebrating both champagne and the moment shared around it.
A complete experience: a rare object, an exceptional vertical
Produced in just 50 productsFully customizable, Le Rafraîchissoir is designed as a collector's item. To complement this creation, Veuve Clicquot offers a prestigious vertical tasting of its iconic vintage. La Grande Dame :
La Grande Dame 2018, developed in collaboration with Jacquemus
The Grande Dame 2012 Rosé in magnum
La Grande Dame 1990 in jeroboam
Exceptional champagnes, whose vintages tell the story of the evolution of the House's style: a confident elegance, a luminous tension, a rare depth.
The Champagne Cooler is not just a beautiful object. It questions our relationship to the champagne ritual. In an era where luxury is being redefined by singularity, materials, and gesture, it puts back at the center what constitutes the essence of Veuve Clicquot: an art of taking one's time, a taste for audacity, the courage to dream differently.
It is both a tribute to the past and a gateway to the future. A way to celebrate champagne with as much respect as freedom. And perhaps, an invitation to reinvent at home those precious moments when serving becomes a ceremony.
Ema Lynnx
Excessive alcohol consumption is dangerous. Drink in moderation.
