The U.S. Becomes Champagne’s Top Export Market

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 29: Bottles of champagne are seen on display at a Costco store December 29, 2008 in South San Francisco, California. As the economy continues to falter, sales of sparkling wine and champagne are down this year compared to a 4 percent surge from last year. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Champagne category is bubbling over in the U.S. market, driven by a dynamic premiumization trend. With per-case value up 20% to over €300 ($334) last year, the U.S. overtook the U.K. as Champagne’s top export market by value in 2015. Champagne shipments to the U.S. leapt 28% to €515 million ($573m) for the year, surpassing the U.K.’s total of €512 million ($570m), which itself represented a 7% bump. U.S. depletions, at 1.4 million cases last year, remain shy of their 2007 total of 1.6 million cases, but shipment value has surged by nearly 60% since 2010, according to Impact Databank. A slide in the euro—whose value against the dollar is down by about 20% over the past two years—has helped to stoke growth.

From 2010-2014, Champagne’s value on a per-case basis rose a respectable 10% in the U.S., adding around $25. But in 2015 alone, it more than doubled that incremental growth, tacking on about $55 in value to the average case of Champagne. Price hikes and a stronger emphasis on higher-end bubblies are both contributing to the dramatic rise in value.

Piper-Heidsieck, which transitioned from the Rémy Cointreau USA portfolio to Terlato Wines last July, is employing both of those tactics. Piper is extending with a Rare Rosé this year, which will be priced at a premium to prestige cuvée Rare Brut, becoming the brand’s highest-priced offering. While looking to increase its high-end sales, Piper has also taken price hikes on its core Brut non-vintage. “Previously you’d sometimes see the Brut as low as $29.99 on the shelf. Over the holidays last year the average was above $39.99, which is a nice move in the right direction,” says Terlato CEO Bill Terlato.

The third-largest Champagne in the U.S. market, Pernod Ricard’s Perrier-Jouët, is seeing strong results for its prestige cuvée Belle Epoque, which sells above $150 a bottle. “The on-premise is back on a healthy trend and it’s a key driver for our portfolio,” says Aygline Pechdo, brand director for Champagnes at Pernod Ricard USA.

Meanwhile, market leader Moët Hennessy USA continues to enjoy impressive progress with the dynamic duo of Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon, which dominate the category with a combined 60% share. Portfoliomate Dom Perignon is also among the top five Champagnes in the U.S. in volume terms—totaling nearly 60,000 cases annually—despite a retail price above $160 a bottle.

Fourth-ranked player Nicolas Feuillatte tells SND it’s focused on expanding Champagne into new consumption occasions. “We’ll be launching new advertising and social media campaigns this year which support our vision for the future of Champagne as more modern and accessible,” says Feuillatte’s Americas export manager Olivier Zorel. —Daniel Marsteller

U.S. – Top Six Champagne Brands
(thousands of nine-liter cases)
DepletionsPercent Change3
RankBrandImporter2013201420152013-20142014-2015
1Veuve ClicquotMoet Hennessy USA (LVMH)3834154538.3%9.3%
2Moet & Chandon1Moet Hennessy USA (LVMH)3543693824.1%3.6%
3Perrier-JouetPernod Ricard USA717180-0.3%11.8%
4Nicolas FeuillatteSte. Michelle Wine Estates6768681.5%0.0%
5Dom PerignonMoet Hennessy USA (LVMH)5659585.2%-1.7%
6Piper HeidsieckTerlato Wines International514542-11.4%-7.0%
Total Top Six29831,0271,0834.5%5.4%
1 excludes Dom Perignon
2 addition of columns may not agree due to rounding
3 based on unrounded dataSource: IMPACT DATABANK

Source: Shanken News

 

Liz Palmer

liz-palmer.com

@Champagnehouses

@LizPalmer_

The First Annual La Champenoise (the Celebration of Champagne) Takes place this Weekend in Reims, France

Unknown-1The first annual La Champenoise (the Celebration of Champagne) takes place this weekend, June 25 and 26 in beautiful, historical Reims, France.

There will be over 70 champagne houses and growers, along with 10 local gastronomy providers, who will be introducing their wines and products to locals, tourists, and wine professionals.

La Champenoise takes place in mythical Halles du Marché du Boulingrin. It’s also known for its architectural and historical presence, and has recently been restored.

Founders, Matthias Collard , Franck Moussié and Benjamin Carteret combined their experience in event organizing, tourism and Champagne and decided a few years ago that Reims needed a festival similar to the wine festivals held in Burgundy and Bordeaux.

“All the major French wine regions have their celebration, sometimes even at an international level… Champagne is the most festive and friendly wine there is, and we wish to celebrate it with this event that unites all the players involved in its production, whether it is trading houses, cooperatives or independent winemakers,” explains Franck one of the founding entrepreneurs of the project.

La Champenoise

Les Halles du Boulingrin

50 rue de Mars

51100 Reims

http://fetechampenoise.com

 

Entrance for Saturday June 25, 7pm-1am: €15

Entrance for Sunday June 26, 11am-8pm: €15

2 day pass: €25

Champagne physicist Gérard Liger-Belair’s recent observations revealed in the Journal of Food Engineering

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Gérard Liger-Belair a physics professor at the University of Reims and expert in effervescence and oenology released his latest report entitled:

“Unveiling self-organized two-dimensional (2D) convective cells in champagne glasses”

Fabien Beaumont, Gérard Liger-Belair , Guillaume Polidori –
Laboratoire de Thermomécanique (GRESPI), UFR Sciences 13237697_10209713954748660_6688242121628904899_nExactes et Naturelles, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, BP 1039, 51687, Reims Cedex 2, France

Journal of Food Engineering

Volume 188, Pages 58–65

‘’’Our work around swirling movements which agitate the champagne in the flute (and their action on the exhaust of flavourings) continues.

In collaboration with our colleagues and friends of the grespi, we just released a new series of observations in the journal of food engineering, which makes the link between the number of vortices on the surface and the intensity of the effervescence in the glass.”

An Abstract of the Report

“Under standard tasting conditions, homogeneous stirring of champagne under the action of rising bubbles confers an advantage compared with a situation where the liquid phase would be at rest. Convection helps renewal of the immediate subsurface layers with champagne from the bulk, thus facilitating the evaporation of volatile organic compounds, and therefore better revealing the champagne “bouquet”. Here, spontaneous and self-organized two-dimensional convective cells were evidenced (at the air/champagne interface) in a laser-etched coupe poured with champagne, through laser tomography. Various regimes were evidenced, from a highly unstable 8-cells regime, to a very stable 4-cells regime. Moreover, by blowing air bubbles through a nozzle positioned at the bottom of a goblet poured with water, and by using Particle Image Velocimetry, similar 2D convective cells were also evidenced at the air/water interface, thus pointing out the crucial role of ascending bubbles behind the formation of self-organized 2D convection cells.”

“Amazing networks of convective cells revealed through laser tomography at the surface of champagne glasses.”

Highlights and Findings:

  • The stirring of champagne glasses under the action of rising bubbles increases the perception of aromas.
  • Self-organized 2D convective cells were observed in champagne glasses through laser tomography.
  • Identical convection cells were evidenced in a model experiment, with a bubbly flow blown in a water goblet.
  • Various regimes were evidenced, from a highly unstable 8-cells regime, to a very stable 4-cells regime.

Confirmed Growth For The Sparkling Wine Market

imagesThe segment is extremely healthy: the global market for sparkling wines proved to be bullish once again in 2015, as confirmed by research by FranceAgriMer. Production, consumption and trade are all showing growth.

Production continues to rise

Production of sparkling wine reached 19 million hectolitres in 2015, equivalent to 2.5 billion bottles, according to data by Agrex Consulting. It accounts for 7% of global wine production, compared with 5% in 2000. 

Leading producer countries

FranceGermanyItalySpain
4.38 million hl2.9 million hl2.9 million hl1.6 million hl

Consumption is also on the rise

Global consumption totals 17.6 million hl, up 4.1% on 2005/2014. It is growing faster than consumption of still wines which rose 1.3% over the same period.

Leading consumer countries

GermanyRussiaUSAFrance
2.9 million hl2.4 million hl1.9 million hl1.8 million hl

Per capita consumption

GermanyFranceUSARussia
4.7 bottles/yr3.7 bottles/yr0.8 bottles/yr2.2 bottles/yr

Exports approach 50 billion euros

7.2 million hectolitres of sparkling wines (> 3 bar) were exported in 2015, equating to 7% of global wine exports. Over ten years, export volumes have almost doubled. Sparkling wines posted 48.6 billion euros in turnover with bottle prices averaging at 6.7 euros/litre, three times the price tag for still wines. Three countries dominate exports: Italy, France and Spain. Italy ranks first by volume with growth of 216% between 2005 and 2015. France leads the way by value thanks to its top end offering Champagne with 55% of turnover for French sparkling wines ascribed to this one appellation. Conversely, French sparkling wines lost ground by volume (-9 points) and value (-10 points) in 2005-2015.

Share of the three leading countries of global sparkling wine exports

ItalyFranceSpain
Volume38%24%23%
Value20%61%9%

Great Britain leads the way for imports

The United Kingdom ranks first by volume with an 18% share but is outstripped by the United States in value terms (19% of imports). 59% of British imports by value come from France. The United States have witnessed soaring sparkling wine imports which have surged by 80% in ten years. The average price tag in the States is high at 9.2 euros compared with 5.8 euros in the UK.

Germany is the second largest importer country by volume, followed by the United States. Prices are low in Germany with the market generating only 10% of the value of global imports. Semi-sparkling wines are the most popular which explains why the average price per litre is just 2 euros.

Source: FranceAgriMer

Champagne Bruno Paillard to showcase its Multi Vintage Première Cuvée Rosé at LIWF

bruno_paillard_rose_premiere_cuvee_degustation
Champagne Bruno Paillard, a Family owned and operated champagne house was founded in 198l. From its inception demonstrated what champagne has best to offer; creating a secret assemblage of diverse crus, grape varieties, and a variety of vintages.

Since 1983, Bruno Paillard was the first Champagne producer to inform the wine consumer of disgorgement dates on it’s labels.

The Bruno Paillard style is the marriage of elegance and complexity, which translates into a light and smooth effervescence, a remarkable purity, a true freshness and a silky texture.

 

Multi Vintage Première Cuvée Rosé

Identity

White wine from Pinot Noir: after a quick pressing, and a fast separation of the skins, the juice is very pale and is vinified.

Red wine from Pinot Noir: is obtained by a prolonged maceration of the juice on the skins.

A touch of Chardonnay brings the necessary vivacity to balance the fruits of Pinot Noir.

The Blend

First pressing of mainly Pinot Noir with some Chardonnay, the amount of which remains a secret.

Reserve wines

a blend of 25 vintages, going back to 1985.

Ageing

three years sur lie, then a further five months after disgorgement.

Dosage

Extra brut, very low dosage, less than 6g/L.

 

Bruno Paillard’s Tasting Notes

The pink copper colour with a hint of raspberry when young, evolves to salmon while ageing. Fine bubbles.

The initial aromas of red currant and red fruits evolve to morello cherry, wild strawberry and violet. A touch of lemon denotes the discrete presence of Chardonnay. With age, aromas tend towards dark fruits like cherry, fig and blackberry.

The palate reveals red fruit captured at their full freshness. The finish is bright and long.

Each bottle carries a label with the month and year of disgorgement.

Pairings

The Multi Vintage Première Cuvée Rosé is a great match with charcuterie, sushi, poultry or red fruit salad, dark chocolate.

‪www.champagnebrunopaillard.com

 

www.londonwinefair.com

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May 3rd – 5th 2016 Kensington Olympia, London