Champagne Drinking in U.K. Grows 8.8%, Outpacing U.S.

bloomberg no url | 3/17/4

[NativeNewYorker]

March 17 (Bloomberg) -- Britain extended its lead over the

U.S. as the champagne export capital of the world as U.K.

drinkers' consumption of the French wine rose 8.8 percent in 2003.

     Champagne drinkers bought 34 million bottles in the U.K.

last year, as popularity among young people increased for a third

straight year. The U.K. market is now almost twice the size of

the U.S., the second-largest market, according to industry group

the Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne.

     ``The younger generation have made it their drink,'' Bruno

Paillard, co-head of the Epernay, France-based group, said in an

interview at the Champagne Information Bureau's annual tasting

event at London's Banqueting House. ``Also, more and more British

consumers love champagne with food.''

     The British government on Monday published plans to curb

excessive drinking, which it estimates costs the economy 20

billion pounds ($36 billion) a year in lost work, crime and

health care costs.

     Champagne's image is changing, champagne sellers say. The

world market is now worth 3.4 billion euros ($4 billion) per

year, Paillard said.

     ``More and more people are opening a bottle of champagne not

necessarily to celebrate, but just for enjoyment,'' said David

Meyers, managing director of Moet Hennessy U.K. Ltd., Britain's

biggest champagne seller.

     Champagne is produced in an area of 34,000 hectares (84,000

acres) in northern France near the city of Reims. The CIVC, which

represents the industry, was created in 1941 by the Champagne

Houses Union and the Champagne Growers Union.

<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>

                        Brown Tax Freeze

<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>

     Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown froze taxes on

sparkling wine in his annual budget today, while raising tax on

wine by 4 pence a bottle.

     The champagne trade group protects the 35 rules controlling

growing, and aims to safeguard quality. The rules include

allowing only three grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and

Pinot Meunier. The committee also limits yields, pruning,

harvesting and aging periods.

     While the pace of growth in the U.K. has slowed from 2002,

the number of bottles drunk beat its high of the end of the

millennium in 1999. The U.S. drank 19 million bottles last year,

up 3.7 percent, and down from a high of 23.7 million in 1999, the

association of champagne growers and makers said.

     Champagne companies, known as houses, make 90 percent of the

champagne exported from France, and many of the 15,000 individual

growers made the rest and a third of domestically consumed

champagne.

<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>

                         Japanese Buyers

<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>

     Japan was the fastest-growing market for champagne last

year, with a 25 percent increase, as more Japanese women chose to

drink the wine with lunch, dinner and in bars, over more

traditional drinks such as sake.

     ``Japanese women have fantastic purchasing power,'' said

Daniel Lorson, the CIVC's communications director. ``We're very

optimistic about the development of champagne in Japan.''

     Disagreements between France and the U.S. last year over the

war in Iraq limited growth in champagne consumption in the U.S.

as some Americans boycotted French goods.

     ``Political tensions have certainly impacted the sales of

French wines,'' Paillard said. ``Would there have been a bigger

increase if it hadn't been for Iraq? I would say yes.''

     Also, the decline of the dollar against the euro may hurt

U.S. sales this year, according to the association. ``This is

going to be the big question for 2004,'' said Paillard. ``Some

houses will increase prices by 20 percent and we might see a

market reaction.''

<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>

[NativeNewYorker]

The CIVC, which represents the industry, was created in 1941 by the Champagne Houses Union and the Champagne Growers Union.

So the trade group dates back to the Nazi occupation. Hmmm.

[FeliciaCat]

I LOVE Champagne. If I have the option, its champers over wine or vodlka (the only other alcohol I drink).

[sarasota]

I'd buy American sparkling wine before I'd buy French champagne.

[Texas dog]

Perhaps this is because people in the USA avoid buying French Champagne. I know I do; I buy Champagne not uncommonly, and I now deliberately avoid French lables.

Gee, I guess I'm going to have to start looking out for Spanish lables for a while.

[montomike]

Probably toasting the takeover of England by the Islamic fundamentalist nazis.

[blanknoone]

The Brits consume far more capital c Champagne, Americans consume far more lower-case c champagne. It is just that we drink domestic (sparkling), Italian (spumante), Spanish (cava) etc etc etc.