Global Champagne Shortage

[Don Giovanni]

Global Champagne Shortage

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Vineyard owners in eastern France are refusing to sell tens of millions of bottles stocked in their cellars because they see them as their retirement "nest-eggs".

[docsconz]

Although they are not likely to ever achieve the cache of their counterparts in Champagne, this is great news for makers of sparkling wines from elsewhere. I particularly like the cavas from Catalunya as an alternative of fine quality. Like many other top name wines, they have succeeded in pricing themselves out of my budget.

[budrichard]

I like Champagne and purchase a lot of it by the case but only when the price is right. I rarely purchase vintage or Super Premium. My last two cases of Pol Roger were purchased for $240/case plus tax. I am not sure if the French realizing that there are limits to production and if the world wants Champagne, the world is going to have to pay more for it or its a market at work. I do know that Champagne has been on a marketing campaign to inform drinkers that Champagne only comes from France and other than 'Korbel', other sparkling wine is not Champagne.

Globally there are some very good sparklers out there for quite a bit less money. None of them can match a good non-vintage Champagne but they can come very close. Picked up two cases of Domaine Carneros Vintage at about $16/bottle recently. A very nice wine.

The EURO/$ doesn't help the situation either. I have switched to mostly Bourbon rather than Scotch and Cognac because of the rising prices for Single Malts and XO Cognacs. With most decent non-vintage Champagne over the $30/bottle mark, I doubt that i will purchase anymore-Dick

[Brad Ballinger]

Limiting market supply of a product to artificially drive up demand? What a novel idea! (Sarcasm dripping.)

With the price increases I've witnessed of late for Champagne, I'm with John -- there are other sparkling wines to snap up. Of course, "Champagne" on the label carries a certain cachet, and, no doubt some purchases are due to that.