What are Veuve Clicquot's Bold Woman Dinners?
Bold Woman Dinners return to Paris for a new edition under the banner of audacity, transmission and haute cuisine.
On September 15, 16 and 17, 2026, the Champagne House will take over the Terrasse du 7è Ciel at Printemps Femme. Facing the rooftops of Paris, three personalities will share their perspectives on cuisine, pastry and food criticism: chef Coline Faulquier, pastry chef Jessica Préalpato and journalist Philippine Darblay.
The event is more than just a prestigious dinner. It combines conversation, a culinary experience, and pairings with Veuve Clicquot champagnes. It's a way of giving a platform to the women who are reinventing the codes of a world as creative as it is demanding.
The Bold Woman Dinners are dinner-conversations dedicated to women who bring a fresh perspective to the world of gastronomy. They bring together female chefs, pastry chefs, entrepreneurs, journalists and committed personalities for a deliberately intimate experience.
The meal becomes a space for dialogue. Cuisine is no longer just presented on the plate. It is told through trajectories, professional choices, risk-taking and personal visions.
This dimension distinguishes the Bold Woman Dinners from a simple event. Veuve Clicquot doesn't just pair its champagne with a menu. The House uses the table as a place for communication, visibility, and networking.
The format is part of the international Bold by Veuve Clicquot, which supports women entrepreneurs through prizes, conversations, an international database and various local initiatives.
Bold Woman Dinner and Bold Woman Award: what's the difference?
The two initiatives belong to the same ecosystem, but they should not be confused.
The Bold Woman Award is an entrepreneurial prize established in 1972. It recognizes female leaders who have developed a business, a vision, and a lasting impact. The Bold Future Award, launched in 2014, recognizes individuals representing a new generation of female entrepreneurs.
The Bold Woman Dinners adopt a more experiential format. They place conversation and gastronomy at the heart of the gathering. Their function is not simply to reward. It is to make career paths accessible, to create direct exchanges, and to circulate ideas.
In November 2025, LVMH indicated that the various Bold awards had recognized nearly 500 women entrepreneurs worldwide in just over fifty years.
A 2026 edition at the top of Paris
For the 2026 edition, Veuve Clicquot has chosen the Terrasse du 7th Heaven of Printemps Femme, located on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris.
The venue has a symbolic dimension. The city unfolds beneath the guests. The dinner takes place high above, in a space associated with fashion, luxury retail, and the Parisian art of living.
This scenography allows the House to create a complete experience. The landscape, the September light, the service, the speeches, the dishes and the vintages all contribute to the same narrative.
In contemporary luxury, décor is no longer a mere backdrop. It is an integral part of the cultural product offered to the public. Luxe Daily already analyzed this strategy in its article on how Veuve Clicquot champagne cultivates its desirability through experience.
Three women, three perspectives on contemporary gastronomy
The 2026 Paris edition will highlight three personalities from complementary fields: cooking, pastry making and food journalism.
This diversity adds depth to the program. It allows us to talk about creation, but also about media coverage, transmission, and representation.
Coline Faulquier, a Mediterranean cuisine focused on the product
French chef Coline Faulquier develops a cuisine deeply linked to Marseille and the Mediterranean.
His restaurant Auffo, located in Vallon des Auffes, offers a contemporary take on seafood, vegetables, and the flavors of the South. His work is based on a clear, precise, and generous cuisine, in which the local area is not merely a backdrop.
It becomes a creative medium.
Coline Faulquier's presence is a natural fit for the dinner's positioning. She embodies a signature style of cuisine that combines technical excellence, local identity, and entrepreneurial freedom. The Michelin Guide includes Auffo in its 2026 France selection.
Jessica Préalpato, a pastry shop closer to life
Jessica Préalpato is among the personalities who have participated in the recent transformation of the restaurant pastry shop.
Awarded the title of The World's Best Pastry Chef in 2019, she champions an approach based on respect for the product, seasonality, and a reduction of unnecessary decorative effects. Her concept of "dessertality" brings dessert closer to fruit, vegetables, and natural ingredients.
Her presence gives the Bold Woman Dinner a particularly contemporary dimension. Pastry is no longer just the sweet ending to a meal. It becomes a territory for creation, identity, and self-expression.
This development aligns with that analyzed by Luxe Daily in its report on La Liste 2026 and the rise of pastry in the world of gastronomic luxury.
Philippine Darblay, the eye that puts gastronomy into storytelling
The third guest, Philippine Darblay, represents the media side of gastronomy.
A journalist and food critic, she has worked for Europe 1 and participated in the show "Très Très Bon" on Paris Première. Her career also includes experiences in London and Denmark, notably within the Noma restaurant.
Its role highlights an obvious truth: a cuisine doesn't shine solely because of the quality of the dishes. It also needs words, images, reviews, stories, and mediators capable of making it understandable.
In a sector saturated with content, food journalism helps to distinguish a genuine creative approach from a mere trend.
A menu conceived as a pairing of cuisine and champagne
The official program announces a menu highlighting seafood flavors and finely prepared vegetables.
Three iconic wines should accompany the dinner:
- The Grand Dame 2018 ;
- Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé ;
- Veuve Clicquot RICH.
This choice allows us to explore several expressions of the House's style.
La Grande Dame represents the flagship cuvée created in homage to Madame Clicquot. The Brut Rosé offers a fruity and structured dimension. RICH, designed to be served according to more contemporary customs, introduces a freer interpretation of champagne.
The appeal of a successful pairing lies not only in the prestige of the bottle. It depends on the rhythm of the meal. A champagne should be able to complement a texture, refresh the palate, enhance a seasoning, or create a contrast.
Dinner then becomes a true gastronomic and sommelier, comparable to the attention offered in the best gourmet restaurants of five-star hotels.
From Madame Clicquot to Bold by Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot's commitment to women is based on the story of the woman who gave her name to the House.
In 1805, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin became a widow at the age of 27 and decided to take over the family business. In a society where women had little economic autonomy, this choice represented a major break with tradition.
Madame Clicquot did not simply preserve an existing business. She developed the House, innovated in champagne production methods, and built an international ambition.
His legacy continues to fuel the Bold program today.
The dates that built the Bold program
- 1805 : Madame Clicquot takes the reins of the House.
- 1972 : creation of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award, which became the Bold Woman Award.
- 2014 : launch of the Bold Future Award, dedicated to emerging female entrepreneurs.
- 2019 : creation of the Bold Champion Award, which recognizes men working towards better representation of women.
- 2026 : New Parisian edition of Bold Woman Dinners, dedicated to women who are reinventing gastronomy.
This chronology gives the initiative a rare coherence. History is not used as a mere heritage backdrop. It becomes the matrix of a contemporary program dedicated towomen's entrepreneurship.
Why is gastronomy a strategic field?
Gastronomy occupies a unique place in the luxury economy.
It brings together expertise, product, service, setting, time, and emotion. It also allows for direct interaction with the public. A fashion collection can be viewed from a distance. A dinner, however, must be experienced.
For Veuve Clicquot, investing in this territory allows them to connect several dimensions of their identity:
- champagne and culinary pairings;
- Madame Clicquot's legacy;
- contemporary creation;
- support for women;
- hospitality and brand experience.
The House can thus discuss leadership without organizing a traditional conference. It can address the topic of knowledge transfer around a table. It can give visibility to women's career paths while remaining fully legitimate within its historical sphere: that of wine, taste, and celebration.
The Bold Woman Dinners are therefore part of a broader evolution in luxury gastronomy, where major establishments seek to create cultural moments as much as gustatory experiences.
The table as a transmission space
The strength of the format also lies in its simplicity.
Women meet over a meal. They listen to stories of journeys that are not always linear. They discover the decisions, obstacles, turning points, and intuitions behind visible success.
This proximity changes the nature of the speech.
On a traditional stage, the discourse can seem hierarchical. At the table, the conversation becomes more nuanced. A personal experience prompts a question. A difficulty recounted may resonate with a situation experienced by another participant.
The dinner thus creates the conditions for a more organic transmission of knowledge. It doesn't promise to resolve the sector's imbalances in one evening. However, it offers something concrete: time, visibility, role models, and a space for dialogue.
A coherent experiential luxury strategy
Through its Bold Woman Dinners, Veuve Clicquot applies the codes of experiential luxury. The rarity doesn't stem solely from the number of available seats. It lies in the combination of elements difficult to replicate: a spectacular Parisian venue, cuisine created specifically for the occasion, carefully selected vintages, unique personalities, and unconventional conversation.
The value lies in the whole experience. This approach meets the expectations of an audience that no longer seeks just a prestigious product. They want to understand a brand, delve into its history, and share a truly memorable moment.
For champagne brands, this evolution is particularly important. The bottle remains central, but it becomes the starting point for a wider universe: gastronomy, travel, lifestyle, design, hospitality and culture.
Practical information about the Bold Woman Dinners 2026
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | Bold Woman Dinners by Veuve Clicquot |
| Dates | September 15, 16 and 17, 2026 |
| Hourly | 7:30 PM |
| Place | Terrace of the 7th Heaven, Spring Woman |
| Address | 64 boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9ᵉ |
| Price announced | 95 euros per person |
| Guests | Coline Faulquier, Jessica Préalpato and Philippine Darblay |
| Announced vintages | La Grande Dame 2018, Brut Rosé and RICH |
| Format | Gourmet dinner and conversation |
| Reservation | From the official Veuve Clicquot page |
As places are only available on three dates, early booking is recommended. Details, availability, and any changes should be checked directly with the organizer.
FAQs about Bold Woman Dinners
When will the Bold Woman Dinners 2026 take place?
The dinners will take place on September 15, 16 and 17, 2026, starting at 7:30 p.m.
Where is the event taking place?
The 2026 edition is organized on the Terrace of the 7th Heaven of Printemps Femme, boulevard Haussmann in Paris.
What is the price of the Bold Woman Dinner?
The official price quoted is 95 euros per person.
Who is participating in the 2026 edition?
Veuve Clicquot announces the participation of chef Coline Faulquier, pastry chef Jessica Préalpato and journalist Philippine Darblay.
Which champagnes will be served?
The announced agreements include La Grande Dame 2018, Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé and Veuve Clicquot RICH.
Are Bold Woman Dinners reserved for female entrepreneurs?
The official communication presents the event as a gastronomic experience accessible by reservation only. Specific access details should be found on the official ticketing website.
Veuve Clicquot transforms engagement into an experience
The Bold Woman Dinners illustrate a contemporary way of conveying a brand commitment.
Veuve Clicquot does not separate its history, its champagnes, gastronomy, and its support for women. The House brings them all together around a single moment.
This coherence gives the project its strength. The dinner does not appear to be an artificial addition to Veuve Clicquot's strategy. It extends a narrative that began in 1805 with Madame Clicquot, was institutionalized in 1972 with the Business Woman Award, and has since been enriched by an international community.
In September 2026, the Terrasse du 7ᵉ Ciel will become more than just a restaurant with a view. It will host a dialogue between women, creativity, entrepreneurship and haute cuisine.
A conversation accompanied by champagne, naturally. But above all, a conversation meant to last beyond the last glass.
Official French sources
- Veuve Clicquot – Bold Woman Dinner France 2026
- Veuve Clicquot – Bold Program by Veuve Clicquot
- LVMH – Veuve Clicquot presents the 53rd Bold Woman Award at a dinner in Paris
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