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.

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.

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.

Champagne Bollinger has discovered some ‘reserve wines’ that date back to the latter part of the nineteenth century.

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.

Terry Kandylis from London’s 67 Pall Mall is the 2016 Moët UK Sommelier of the Year.

The Champagne Academy has celebrated its 60th anniversary and launched the 2016 programme of its annual trip to Champagne next month (June).

Here is the pick of the launches from last month, as featured in Drinks International Magazine April edition.

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).

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 Champagne has announced that Bernadette Knight is its new chief marketing officer.

McKinley Vintners has become UK Agent for Champagne Janisson et Fils.

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 Pol Roger has arranged a cricket match between Champagne and  English sparkling wine.

Champagne Jacquart has appointed Diane Gonzalez as its new UK business development manager.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to include the Champagne slopes, houses and cellars on its world heritage list.

The UK alcohol market has returned to growth following years of continuous decline, according to the latest WSTA market report. 

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.

The champagne category needs to claw back its premium status to survive this competitive market. Giles Fallowfield reports

Champagne Deutz is the sponsor of the Court of Master Sommeliers for the next three years.

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

The House of Ruinart says the deadline for applications for its Ateliers Ruinart programme 2015 has been extended to Friday January 23.

Moët Hennessy Wines and Spirits chairman and CEO, Christophe Navarre, has announced the appointment of Stéphane Voyer, as senior vice president human resources.

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. 

The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships has announced its medal results of the 2014 competition.

Champagne house Krug has released of a new vintage of its rare single vineyard cuvée, the Krug Clos du Mesnil 2003.

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.

The Fat Duck’s Loic Avril has been named Chaîne des Rôtisseurs 2013 International Young Sommelier of the Year.

The Champagne Bureau has announced that Tim Hall is the 2013 UK Champagne Ambassador.

For a while it looked like Champagne was losing its lustre, but Lucy Britner finds more consumers being attracted to quality

The Comité Champagne (the educational and promotional arm of The Champagne Houses & Growers’ Association) has launched its new official Champagne website: www.champagne.com.

The Chinese government has officially recognised Champagne as a protected geographical indication.

Henri Krug, the former head of Champagne Krug, has died, it has been announced.

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.

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.

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.

Moët & Chandon has announced that tennis great, Roger Federer, is the house’s new brand ambassador.

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.

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

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.

Champagne GH Mumm has renewed its long term international partnership as ‘Official Champagne of Formula 1’.

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 .

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 has appointed new chief executive officers for its champagne brands Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin.

Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte achieved its highest volume sales in 2011, says the brand’s Caroline Defaut.

Lanson International has launched Lanson Extra Age Rosé to global markets.

A five-litre demijohn of 1985 Cognac Frapin has sold for €15,000 at a charity auction.

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”.