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.
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.
Fat Duck sommelier wins world title
The Fat Duck’s Loic Avril has been named Chaîne des Rôtisseurs 2013 International Young Sommelier of the Year.
Tim Hall is UK Champagne Ambassador
The Champagne Bureau has announced that Tim Hall is the 2013 UK Champagne Ambassador.
Champagne: The Prestige
For a while it looked like Champagne was losing its lustre, but Lucy Britner finds more consumers being attracted to quality
New Champagne website
The Comité Champagne (the educational and promotional arm of The Champagne Houses & Growers’ Association) has launched its new official Champagne website: www.champagne.com.
China recognises Champagne
The Chinese government has officially recognised Champagne as a protected geographical indication.
Henri Krug dies aged 76
Henri Krug, the former head of Champagne Krug, has died, it has been announced.
Champagne exports 3.4% up by value
The Comité Champagne, which represents Champagne producers, has announced that world exports are 3.4% up by value despite a 4 million drop is shipped bottles.
Champagne exports up 3.4%, UK leads the way
The Comite Champagne, the generic body for Champagne producers, has announced today (March 13) that the world exports have risen 3.4% by value, despite a 4 million drop in shipped bottles.
Ruinart launches Dom Ruinart Rosé 1998
Maison Ruinart, which claims to be the oldest champagne house (established in 1729), has announce the launch of the latest vintage of its prestige cuvée Dom Ruinart Rosé 1998 to the UK market.
Federer serves for Moët & Chandon
Moët & Chandon has announced that tennis great, Roger Federer, is the house’s new brand ambassador.
Herbert Hall to make fizz for Prince Charles
The boutique sparkling wine producer, Herbert Hall Wines, has been selected to make an English Sparkling Wine Cuvée for The Prince of Wales’s Highgrove brand.
Champagne
Despite reports of champagne’s struggle to keep cases sales up, Lucy Britner finds that the world has far from fallen out of love with France’s famous export
Jubilee celebrations lift gin and sparking sales
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association says gin and sparkling wine sales increased in the UK during the run up to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Mumm renews F1 podium partnership
Champagne GH Mumm has renewed its long term international partnership as ‘Official Champagne of Formula 1’.
Charles Heidsieck champagne moves to Liberty
UK: Charles Heidsieck champagne is to move to a "fine wine-orientated partner" in the UK. Distribution is to shift from First Drinks Brands to Liberty Wines from June 1, 2012 .
Champagne regains fizz
The Champagne Bureau has reported increased shipments in 2011. Total shipments worldwide rose from 319.5 million bottles in 2010 to 323 million in 2011.
LVMH appoints champagne heads
LVMH has appointed new chief executive officers for its champagne brands Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin.
Nicolas Feuillatte toasts best ever year
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte achieved its highest volume sales in 2011, says the brand’s Caroline Defaut.
Lanson Extra Age Rosé released
Lanson International has launched Lanson Extra Age Rosé to global markets.
A rare demijohn of Cognac Frapin sells for €15,000
A five-litre demijohn of 1985 Cognac Frapin has sold for €15,000 at a charity auction.
Champagne holds breath after “earliest harvest”
Growers, cooperatives and houses in Champagne have offered ambivalent first appraisals of the 2011 vintage, following what has been described as the appellation’s “earliest ever harvest”.
Show some humility, says CEO of Renaud Cointreau
Owners of traditional products such as champagne and cognac need to show some humility in their dealings with new emerging markets, according to the president and CEO of Groupe Renaud Cointreau.
A de Fussigny releases XO 24 Carats
A de Fussigny cognac has released XO 24 Carats Grand Champagne to North America, Europe, Asia and duty free.
Moet launches champagne over ice
Moet & Chandon has launched a champagne designed to be served over ice.
Lanson launches champagne education website
Lanson International has launched a website to educate trade and consumers about champagne, called L‟Académie de Lanson.
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte hires commercial director
Champagne cooperative Centre Vinicole – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte has appointed Julie Campos as commercial director.
Sale of Rémy Cointreau’s champagne division to go through
There are unconfirmed reports that the sale of Rémy Cointreau’s champagne division, which includes the the Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck brands has gone through.
Rémy in talks with EPI over champagne sale
The Rémy Cointreau Group has announced that it has entered into “exclusive negotiations with EPI” to sell its champagne division.
Cognac scheme to support small producers
Les Compagnons du Cognac, a social enterprise designed to support and protect small and independent producers of VSOP and XO cognac, is about to be launched.
Mumm releases 2002 champagne in UK and Italy
G H Mumm has released its 2002 vintage champagne to the UK and Italy.
Hine launches new cognac
Hine Vintage Cognacs has developed a new “high-end” VSOP which will be exclusive to travel retail. The new cognac will be revealed at TFWA Cannes from October 18 -22.
Champagne Jacquart enlists UK partners
Champagne Jacquart is to appoint Enotria as its exclusive UK distribution agent from October.
Prosecco ban progress in Australia
Italy/Australia: The Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Consorzio has welcomed a ban on Australian producers using the term prosecco, under new EU laws. The Consorzio has pledged to continue fighting to get the ban implemented in other countries that continue to make prosecco, like Brazil.