How to Pronounce Champagne Brand Names: Moët, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger & More

Champagne house names are among the most commonly mispronounced in all of wine, largely because they combine French spelling conventions unfamiliar to most English speakers.

Moët & Chandon

Pronounced "mo-ET ay shahn-DOHN." A genuinely tricky one: the "t" in "Moët" is actually pronounced (unlike most French final consonants), a quirk tied to the founding family's Dutch-influenced surname rather than standard French pronunciation rules.

Veuve Clicquot

Pronounced "vuhv klee-KOH." "Veuve" means "widow" in French, referencing Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, the widow who took over and expanded the house after her husband's death — a genuinely significant figure in Champagne history in her own right.

Taittinger

Pronounced "TAY-tan-zhair" (or more closely "teh-tan-ZHAY" in French). The "g" combination produces a soft "zh" sound rather than a hard English "g," a common trip-up point.

Perrier-Jouët

Pronounced "peh-ree-AY zhoo-EHT." Both parts of the hyphenated name drop their expected final consonant sounds in classic French style.

Ruinart

Pronounced "rwee-NAR" — the oldest established Champagne house, founded in 1729, with a name that trips people up mainly due to the "ui" vowel combination.

Bollinger

Pronounced "BOH-lan-zhay" in French style, though widely anglicized to "BOL-in-jer" in everyday English use — a case where the anglicized pronunciation has become broadly accepted rather than incorrect.

The Practical Takeaway

Even wine professionals sometimes default to anglicized pronunciations for practical, everyday communication — knowing the more authentic French pronunciation is useful and impressive, but don't feel obligated to force it in casual conversation if the anglicized version is more widely understood in context.