Best Champagne Book of All Times. ~Book AuthorityEditor's Choice Historical Novel SocietySparkling Courage: Love, Loss, and the First Champagne Queen's Daring LegacyFrance, 1800s. Young widow Barbe-Nicole Clicquot possesses an extraordinary gift: Le Nez, an exquisite sense of smell required to craft the world's finest champagne. Despite crippling grief and societal rules against women owning businesses, she inherits her late husband's struggling winery.Napoleon's Code shackles her with business restrictions, his wars strangle the economy, and competitors block her every step. Yet, Barbe-Nicole rises like a defiant bubble, confronting prejudice and clashing with the Emperor himself. Then, amidst the chaos, love throws a tempting yet perilous curveball: a passionate connection with her sales manager. But marrying him means forfeiting the winery, forcing her to choose between love and her life's calling.Will Barbe-Nicole defy the odds and become the first female champagne mogul, or will her dream be crushed?The captivating story of Veuve Clicquot is that of a woman who dared to rise above treacherous times, personal loss, and an empire's defiance, leaving an indelible mark on the world of champagne.