Tag: Champagne Moët & Chandon

GLOBAL – Champagne sales rise in 2010

Global Champagne sales rebounded in 2010, but demand failed to surpass the levels of 2008, according to trade body Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Champagne (CIVC).

Champagne sales rose by 9% in volume to 319.5m bottles, the CIVC said today (9 February). The figure confirms a rebound in demand for the category, following a sharp drop in demand at the peak of the global financial crisis.

Global sales by value increased by 8% to EUR4bn.

The biggest Champagne houses look to have led the recovery. Champagne group Lanson-BCC said today that the Champagne houses, rather than individual producers, saw collective export volumes increase by 20% in 2010.

However, industry volumes remain below those of 2008, when volumes reached 322.5m bottles. The 2008 figure, too, represented a 5% drop on 2007 volumes.

In contrast to the excess supply of Champagne in many markets during the financial crisis, the industry could face shortages in 2011. Both Vranken-Pommery Monopole and Moet Hennessy have warned in the last couple of weeks that supplies will be tight if the sales momentum continues.

Their comments will likely put pressure on the CIVC to relax its cap on grape harvests, put in place in 2009 in order to bring supply into balance with demand.

Just Drinks

Moët & Chandon Champagne Debuts Gold Award Season Bottle

Moët & Chandon has launched exclusive champagne of both the 2011 Golden Globes® (January 16) and Academy Awards® (February 27), with the debut of Moët & Chandon Impérial bottle to celebrate Moët’s 20th anniversary with the Globes.

Champagne and cinema has become a loved tradition in Hollywood. During the 2010 Golden Globes®, over 1,000 Moët & Chandon Impérial minis with chic ‘mini-flutes’ were served to celebrities on the red carpet, over 500 magnum bottles of Moët & Chandon Impérial were served inside the ballroom during the dinner and award presentation ceremony, totalling over 9,000 glasses of Moët & Chandon Impérial being enjoyed on one of Hollywood’s biggest nights.

Scarlett Johansson for Moet & Chandon Champagne

Scarlett Johannsson has been the face of Moet & Chandon Champagne since 2009. The latest campaign just arrived in time for the Hollywood awards season to kick into high gear with Sunday night’s Golden Globes.

“This new campaign highlights a return to the immutable elegance and glamour that are inherent to both Moet and Scarlett,” says Daniel Lalonde, Moet & Chandon’s President.

Seth Box, of Moët Hennessy USA, On Champagne Glasses

As director of education for Moët Hennessy USA, Seth Box is responsible for spreading the word about his company’s spirits, wines and Champagnes — including Dom Pérignon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Moët et Chandon and Ruinart — to as many people as possible. Simply put: he regularly takes people out for drinks.

Champagne, he says, shouldn’t be saved for a special occasion. “It’s embarrassing that we, as a country, drink as little Champagne as we do,” Mr. Box said. “Because it’s so much fun, tastes delicious and makes people happy.”

Like most Champagne aficionados, he has definite opinions about the glass in which it should be served. “If you’re someone who appreciates the nuances and finer aspects of Champagnes, the glass is really important,” he said.

He said that while flutes are “great for presentation and showcase bubbles beautifully, from the tasting standpoint, the shape isn’t ideal.” He prefers a shape that is a combination of a white-wine glass and a Champagne glass — one with a bulbous bottom and a narrower top. “You want something with a wineglass on the bottom, to capture the aromas,” he said, which “then tapers up a bit so you focus those aromas on the nose.”

With the holiday entertaining season in high gear, Mr. Box spent a recent morning searching for Champagne-worthy glassware. At Baccarat, on Madison Avenue, he found the Remy stems “boring, but perfect: the bowl will capture the aromas and then focus around the back, and you can hold it without mucking up the glass.” The Vega Flutissimo would probably not be a top pick for sommeliers, but he liked it “because it reminds us that Champagne is also about an aesthetic,” he said. “And the blue crystal adds a touch which is reminiscent of more classic times.”

Nearby, at Lalique, he picked the Facet Champagne flute. “If you’re going to do classic, do this,” he said. “It’s a gorgeous flute.”

Online, he found one of his favorites, the Spiegelau Hybrid. “The deep bowl and larger size allow the Champagne to aerate while still maintaining a sleek look,” he said.

He also liked Govino’s stemless shatterproof design, pointing out that its shape works for many wines and Champagnes, and its price ($12 for four) won’t break the bank.

Ultimately, though, the glass is secondary, he said: “Drink Champagne in anything. If it makes you happy to drink it out of a water cup or a cool little Italian country glass, go for it. Just drink, and be happy.”

New York Times