Charles Heidsieck

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Charles Camille Heidsieck (1822–1893) was a French Champagne merchant who founded the Charles Heidsieck champagne house in 1851 and helped popularize champagne in the United States. He was known in New York society as "Champagne Charlie."

He came from a prominent champagne family. His father, Charles-Henri Heidsieck, was a well-known merchant, and Charles Camille was related to the founders of Piper-Heidsieck and Heidsieck & Co Monopole. He was married to Amélie Henriot.

Heidsieck first visited the United States in 1852, touring New England and New York and quickly building a strong import business. His successes earned him great acclaim in New York, where he became a fashionable figure and helped establish a lasting American market for champagne.

When the American Civil War began, Heidsieck rushed back to the U.S. to collect debts tied to his business. His efforts led him to New Orleans, where he attempted to collect payments and even use cotton as settlement. He faced serious trouble: a diplomatic pouch he carried contained Confederate documents, and he was imprisoned as a suspected spy at Fort Jackson. The incident caused a diplomatic uproar between France and the United States, later known as the Heidsieck Incident. He was released on 16 November 1862, though in poor health and with his business in ruin.

Back in France, Heidsieck rebuilt his life. In 1863, he received a chance to recover part of his losses when a man offered deeds to land in Denver as repayment for debts. He eventually used these assets to pay off his obligations and, with renewed capital, relaunched his champagne house, restoring its status as a leading Champagne house.

Charles Heidsieck’s life and his dramatic wartime episode inspired later works, including a 1982 biography titled Champagne Charlie by Joseph Henriot and a 1989 French-Canadian television film of the same name, in which Hugh Grant portrayed him.