The idea was as immediately appealing as it was self-evidently indulgent, namely to conduct an ‘experiment’ to assess the on-going impact of altitude on the taste and flavour of Champagne. And we are not talking 35, 000 feet here, and the effects of cabin pressure and recycled air of a dubious nature. On the contrary, […]

Champagne is a delightful enigma; seen by some as a stand-alone category which bears scant resemblance to the rest of the wine trade, and by others as a bell-weather, providing early warning when choppy seas lie ahead but when the waters are calm, luxuriating in the hazy trappings of  indulgence and success. Whichever interpretation is […]

It has been clear for while that the growing imbalance between supply and demand in Champagne, fuelled by burgeoning international demand, is set to lead to shortages in certain markets, with concomitant higher prices and hopefully a more carefully selected distribution chain. Pretty much every corner of the 33,500 hectares where vines are permitted to […]

Well, as the Champenois put up their feet, preparing for some late summer sun on the Riviera after an extraordinarily early harvest, there must, for all those rugby and football woes, be a few smiles on their faces. Why? Because once more the stories of demand exceeding supply and global supply shortages are doing the […]