Is Veuve Clicquot worth it?
Veuve Clicquot is genuinely good Champagne and worth it for a gift or a big moment, but for your own toast, Kirkland's Champagne at Costco gets surprisingly close for about a third of the price.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut · Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier · Champagne, France · most grocery stores, wine shops and Costco
- Alcohol
- About 12%
- Sweetness
- Brut (dry)
- Grapes
- About half Pinot Noir, plus Chardonnay and Meunier
- Made by
- Veuve Clicquot, owned by LVMH
- From
- Reims, Champagne, France
- Price
- About $55 to $70
- Calories
- About 120 in a 5 oz glass (estimate)
What it tastes like
Apple, pear, lemon and a toasty, brioche-like richness, with fine, persistent bubbles. Fuller and rounder than most Proseccos.
- Bodylight → big
- Sweetnessdry → sweet
- Zingsoft → zippy
Is it worth $60?
When the orange label matters, yes: people know it and it delivers. When it's just you, you're paying a premium for the name.
Who it’s for
Celebrations, gifts and anyone who wants the real-deal Champagne experience. If you mostly use bubbly for mimosas, save your money.
How to serve it
Well chilled but not icy, in a flute or a regular wine glass.
The backstory
Veuve means "widow" in French. Barbe-Nicole Clicquot took over the house in 1805 at 27 after her husband died, and went on to invent the riddling table, a clever rack that gets the cloudy yeast out of the bottle so the wine pours clear. Today it's owned by luxury group LVMH. Yellow Label is mostly Pinot Noir, which gives it body, and up to 45% of each blend is older reserve wine, which is where that toasty, bready richness comes from and why it tastes the same every year.
How it compares
- Veuve Clicquot vs Kirkland Champagne
Kirkland is also real Champagne at about a third of the price; it's a little lighter, but for a toast at home most people won't miss the orange label.
- Veuve Clicquot vs Chandon
Chandon is California bubbly made the same way and owned by the same parent company; it's simpler and fruitier but costs well under half.
- Veuve Clicquot vs Korbel
Korbel says champagne on the label but is a softer, simpler California wine; Veuve is the real thing, with much more toast and depth.
What to eat with it
- Lobster →
- Sushi →
- Fried chicken →
- Potato chips
Questions people ask
- How do you pronounce Veuve Clicquot?
- Roughly "vuhv klee-KOH." The "t" at the end of Clicquot is silent.
- How much is a bottle of Veuve Clicquot?
- About $55 to $70 for the standard Yellow Label, often a bit less at Costco and warehouse stores. It also comes in half bottles and magnums.
- Is Veuve Clicquot real Champagne?
- Yes. It's made in Reims, in France's Champagne region, from Champagne's classic grapes, with the bubbles made in each bottle.
- Who owns Veuve Clicquot?
- LVMH, the French luxury group behind Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon.
- What does Veuve Clicquot mean?
- It means "Widow Clicquot," a nod to Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, who ran the house after her husband died in 1805 and turned it into one of the most famous names in Champagne.
- Does Veuve Clicquot go bad?
- Not quickly. Yellow Label is made to drink now and is best within about three years of buying it, kept somewhere cool and dark. Once opened, drink it within a day or two.
If you like this, try
- Kirkland ChampagnePinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier · about $22Drink this one
- ChandonChardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier · about $22Good buy
- KorbelSparkling blend · about $13It's fine
Where Moxie recommends it
- What wine goes with lobster?
- What is a good bottle of wine to give as a gift?
- What is the best champagne for New Year's Eve?
- What is sparkling wine?
- What is Champagne?
- Prosecco vs Champagne: what's the difference?
Last checked 2026-10-04. Moxie Vino isn’t affiliated with Veuve Clicquot; this is our honest take. Bottle photo: Veuve Clicquot.