Champagne is the wine of the world’s best bars. It’s the serve of luxury and celebration, and critically for the Brands Report, the wine category’s branding and ownership most closely resembles the spirits world. And if brand recognition counts in bars, Moët & Chandon has more than most. The LVMH brand is the region’s bestseller and since we began polling that’s also true in our…

Unexpected heatwaves swept across Europe this summer causing wildfires in Greece, France, Portugal and Italy. According to data by Copernicus, June, July and August this year were the warmest on record globally, with an average temperature of 16.8°C, which is 0.7°C above the mean. Rising temperatures are nothing unusual to news channels, but the wet European August was a surprise. The same report…

The past decade has seen a coming of age for English wine. The figures tell a story of massive growth – one million bottles were produced in 2012 while 12.2 million were produced last year, according to Wine GB data. But that only tells part of the story. English wines, and in particular sparkling English wines, now regularly go toe-to-toe with some of the best…

Brun arrives from Champagne Charles Heidsieck, marking the first time a cellar master, or Chef de Caves, has come from Champagne to join an Italian winery as full-time enologist. “I am convinced of the quality of Ferrari Trento and of the potential of Trentodoc,” says Brun. “The opportunity to create traditional method sparkling wines from the mountainous terroirs of Trentino is a privilege…

The main objective of this plan is that Champagne remains always available, desirable and exemplary. In addition, the Comité Champagne will increase its annual budget by an additional €10 million (approx. £8.9 million), which will be invested in areas including R&D, sustainability and strengthening its foundational missions.   “The investment we make embodies the social responsibility of our sector,” said David Chatillon, president of…

Of the hundreds of champagne houses, only 15 have ever appeared in the Brands Report. That’s because, when it comes to this category, brand recognition counts, and few resonate as much as Moët & Chandon, which has topped this list on seven of the past 11 occasions. That’s down to brand call, but it’s also because Moët & Chandon’s entry-level product is three things: consistent,…