When the news emerged that Taittinger had become the first champagne house to take the plunge in the English wine business, the most immediately striking thing about it was how happy the natives were with the development.
Bollinger renews Royal Warrant
Bollinger champagne has had its royal warrant renewed by King Charles marking 140 years of continuous supply to the Royal Household.
Acclimatising Champagne
Champagne houses have been grappling with volatile weather conditions for some years, and are carefully considering how best to mitigate the effects in the vineyard and the cellar.
Champagne exports to US down 20% in 2023
Champagne exports to the US in 2023 dropped 20% on the previous year to around 27m bottles according to Comité Champagne.
Yann Munier appointed Maison Mumm cellar master
Champagne house Maison Mumm has announced Yann Munier as its new cellar master from 8 April 2024.
Champagne veteran joins Ferrari Trento
Ferrari Trento has announced that Cyril Brun has joined the Italian sparkling wine brand located in Trentino, Italy, as cellar master.
The Comité Champagne has unveiled the sector’s plan for the next decade, defining a global trajectory to face the challenges of the next 10 years.
Brands Report 2023: Champagne
A select band continues to dominate this category, where brand recognition is the all-important factor.
Comité Champagne harvest yield decision
Champagne growers and houses met in Epernay within the Comité Champagne to agree on the circumstances of the next harvest and on strategic directions for the sector.
Leonardo DiCaprio invests in Champagne Telmont
Hollywood star and activist Leonardo DiCaprio has acquired an equity stake in Remy Cointreau’s Champagne Telmont for an undisclosed fee.
Brands Report 2022: Champagne
There wasn’t a huge amount to celebrate last year, but it doesn’t take much of an occasion for champagne corks to fly in the world’s best bars – almost 90% of our bars stock the French sparkler. Three-quarters have two champers and two-thirds have three or more.
Putin anti-champagne law sparks controversy
A new law in Russia ordering French champagne to be labelled sparkling wine has caused unrest among producers.
US champagne imports down 19% in 2020
According to the Champagne Bureau USA, the exports of champagne to the US fell almost 19% in 2020 year-on-year.
Champagne Lanson enters new US deal with Terlato Wine Group
Terlato Wine Group has announced an exclusive sales and marketing agreement with Champagne Lanson to become effective April 1, 2021.
Louis Roederer has been crowned The World’s Most Admired Champagne Brand for the second year in a row.
Champagne sales soar as Brits find cause for celebration
UK retailers enjoyed soaring sales of Champagne and sparkling wine as the country basked in warm weather during the four weeks to September 5.
Prosecco DOCG achieved record sales in 2019
The Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG produced and sold a record 92 million bottles in 2019 after enjoying a large harvest the previous year.
Champagne Gosset has launched a non-vintage cuvee that has benefited from more than 12 years of ageing on the lees.
Louis Roederer crowned World’s Most Admired Champagne Brand 2020
Drinks International has named Louis Roederer as the World’s Most Admired Champagne Brand in 2020, a magazine which ranks champagne brands from 1-30 based on the votes of the world's top wine experts.
Brands Report 2020: Champagne
Champagne is a category in which brand reputation has a key role. Its expense clearly plays a part in consumers' brand loyalty - creating a reluctance to experiment with lesser-known brands as they might in the craft-spun worlds of beer and gin, for example.
Champagne faces crippling US tarrifs
A GlobalData representative has claimed the threat of 100% US tariffs on champagne could be critical to the exports of powerful champagne houses.
Champagne: Passing the baton
Champagne has been going through a period of fundamental change over the past couple of years.
Champagne: Pick of the sparklers
With the term ‘sparkling’ gaining credence in wines from England, Canada and Spain, champagne can’t afford to rest on its laurels. Jamie Goode reports
The much vaunted 2008 vintage of Dom Pérignon was launched earlier this month at a spectacular event in Hautvillers, appropriately close by the cellar in the vineyard – ‘Cave Thomas’ -- where Dom Pérignon himself made his wines.
Pierlot steps up at Pommery
Champagne Pommery has a new wine maker to oversee its September harvest this year. Clément Pierlot, follows in the footsteps of Thierry Gasco, who is now directing Pommery’s new sparkling wine adventures in California, England and the South of France.
Bring back the imperial pint for champagne
Two leading figures in the UK wine trade are hoping that the UK leaving the European Union could bring back the imperial pint for champagne.
Bollinger discovers wines from 1830
Champagne Bollinger has discovered some ‘reserve wines’ that date back to the latter part of the nineteenth century.
Nicolas Feuillatte: “We sacrificed in the short term”
Speaking ahead of its new marketing campaign, Enchanting life, Olivier Legrand has told Drinks International the world's third largest champagne brand sacrificed sales in the short term to protect its future.
Kandylis is Moët UK Sommelier Of The Year
Terry Kandylis from London’s 67 Pall Mall is the 2016 Moët UK Sommelier of the Year.
Champagne Academy celebrates 60 years
The Champagne Academy has celebrated its 60th anniversary and launched the 2016 programme of its annual trip to Champagne next month (June).
Pick of the Launches
Here is the pick of the launches from last month, as featured in Drinks International Magazine April edition.
US overtakes UK as Champagne’s most valuable market
Total champagne shipments in 2015 are up 1.7% on 2014, to 312,531,444, bottles, the highest volume figure recorded since 2011, according to the CIVC (Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne).
Champagne tourist figures up 15% following UNESCO listing
Tourist figures in Champagne are up 15% on last year as a result of the ‘UNESCO World Heritage effect’, according to the president of the Associations Paysages du Champagne.
Armand de Brignac makes Bernadette Knight its CMO
Armand de Brignac Champagne has announced that Bernadette Knight is its new chief marketing officer.
McKinley Vintners is UK Agent for Champagne Janisson
McKinley Vintners has become UK Agent for Champagne Janisson et Fils.
Krug – once in a lifetime experience
The champagne house Krug has announced a two-day tasting experience– including one rare bottle of Krug Private Cuvée 1915 – to be auctioned as one lot at Sotheby’s New York on September 25.
Champagne versus English sparkling wine - at cricket
Champagne Pol Roger has arranged a cricket match between Champagne and English sparkling wine.
Jacquart appoints new UK business development manager
Champagne Jacquart has appointed Diane Gonzalez as its new UK business development manager.
UNESCO recognises Champagne
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to include the Champagne slopes, houses and cellars on its world heritage list.
Sparkling wine, spirits and beer drive UK market growth
The UK alcohol market has returned to growth following years of continuous decline, according to the latest WSTA market report.
Prosecco beats champagne for value
52% of prosecco drinkers in the UK regard the Italian fizz as ‘very good value for money’, more than twice the figure for champagne, according to a new report from Wine Intelligence.
Champagne: The Right Road
The champagne category needs to claw back its premium status to survive this competitive market. Giles Fallowfield reports
Deutz to sponsor Court of Master Sommeliers
Champagne Deutz is the sponsor of the Court of Master Sommeliers for the next three years.
Sparkling Wine: A Brave New World
As demand for sparkling wine shows no signs of abating, the New World is taking its chances and offering quality like never before, as Jamie Goode reports
Ruinart Ateliers deadline extended
The House of Ruinart says the deadline for applications for its Ateliers Ruinart programme 2015 has been extended to Friday January 23.
New Moët Hennessy HR
Moët Hennessy Wines and Spirits chairman and CEO, Christophe Navarre, has announced the appointment of Stéphane Voyer, as senior vice president human resources.
Bonhams to auction methuselah of Pol Roger 2004
A methuselah of Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 2004 - estimated at £5,000-£10,000 - is to be auctioned at Bonhams, London on September 11, in aid of the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation.
Best sparkling wines in the world
The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships has announced its medal results of the 2014 competition.
Krug releases new vintage of Clos du Mesnil
Champagne house Krug has released of a new vintage of its rare single vineyard cuvée, the Krug Clos du Mesnil 2003.
Moët UK Sommelier of the Year semi finalists
The Academy of Food & Wine Service (AFWS) has announced the names of the sommeliers going through to the semi-finals of the Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2014 following the regional finals held earlier this week in Bristol, two London venues and Stafford.