Champagne’s Positive Price Mix Leads To Sales Growth In U.S.

imagesChampagne sales in the U.S. market climbed by 1.2% to about $477 million last year, despite a 3.5% drop in depletions to 1.24 million cases, according to Impact Databank. The U.S. performance was still 6.3% below the $508.8 million achieved in 2006.

Major producers like Moët Hennessy’s LVMH were experiencing an encouraging price mix with prestige cuveés, rosé and vintages in high demand. LVMH’s top two sellers in the U.S. Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot enjoyed a combined market share of approximately 60% while both lost volume last year down 7.3% and 0.9%, respectively. Among the U.S. market’s other leading Champagne brands, third-ranked Perrier-Jouët was flat, while fourth-ranked Nicolas Feuillatte and fifth-ranked Piper Heidsieck were up by 1.6% and 2%, respectively.

Champagne’s new product activity focused on high end markets, i.e., Champagne Charles Heidsieck launched a new brut ($65) and rosé ($80) réserve expressions in September 2012 to mark 160 years in the U.S. “Demand will continue to increase as appreciation and prestige of Champagne continues to rise,” says Cecile Bonnefond, CEO, Champagnes Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck.

Global Champagne sales, meanwhile, inched up 0.2% to approximately $5.68 billion, despite a 4.4% shipments decline to 25.73 million cases. Champagne’s growth in emerging markets such as China (+51.8% to 167,000 cases in 2012) has raised concerns about long-term supply. Champagne’s total stocks in 2012, however, were 120.3 million nine-liter cases with a stock–to-shipment ratio of 4.7 years, well above the ideal level of three years.

The geographical area of the Champagne AOC will begin to be revised later this year and gradual plantings could begin in 2015 and end in 2020 in a process not expected exceed a maximum 1% to 2% of the existing AOC. “Champagne AOC area is limited and volume growth will be limited one day,” says Etienne Auriau, CFO, Veuve Laurent-Perrier & Co. “However, for the moment, we have enough stock to supply the market for the years to come.”

Source: Shanken News

Eden-Roc Champagne Lounge

Set atop the Eden-Roc Pavilion, overlooking the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the island of Lérins the Eden-Roc Champagne Lounge unveils its stylish and modern design.

Nestled in the heart of a sumptuous panoramic terrace, with spectacular views of the coastline, this newly-launched lounge offers the opportunity to savour distinctive vintages in a charming and refined setting.

Collaborating exclusively with 14 Champagne houses, selected by Head Sommelier Xavier Dinet, the Eden-Roc Champagne Lounge boasts the most prestigious signature Champagnes along with some surprising and delicious discoveries from rare but precious select bottlings to grand vintages from top houses including jeroboams of exceptional limited edition Champagnes such Louis Roederer Cristal 2002 or Dom Pérignon ‘Vintage Rosé’.

The lounge will be open through Sept. 1. from 6:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc
Boulevard JF Kennedy, BP 29, 06601 ANTIBES CEDEX France

Armand de Brignac Dynastie

Armand de Brignac Dynastie is a rare collection of Armand de Brignac Brut Gold Champagne which includes various bottle formats from the standard 750ml bottle to and including the exclusive 30-litre Midas.

Hakkasan Las Vegas, a new five-level culinary and nightlife mecca at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, is the first nightlife complex in the world to offer the Armand de Brignac Dynastie collection.

Hakkasan has exclusively listed the package for $500,000, making it the world’s most extravagant bottle service experience.

Collectively, the Armand de Brignac Dynastie amounts to 109 bottles of prestige cuvee Champagne.

Researchers Reveal Link Between Champagne and Cognitive Health

A recent study reveals that drinking champagne, anywhere from 1 to 3 glasses per week, could benefit your memory and postpone the onset of dementia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative brain disorders. The study was recently published in the journal Antioxidants and Redox Signalling.

The research team, consisting of scientists from the University of Reading, in the United Kingdom, discovered that the phenolic compounds that are found in champagne are responsible for improving spatial memory. This is the type of memory involved in the gathering of information related to the environment. According to the research team, these phenolic compounds modulate signals from the cortex and hippocampus, the areas of the brain related to learning and memorizing. The compounds were also found to adjust the effect of several proteins that are directly connected to the memorizing process. Previous studies have shown that the levels of these particular proteins drop with aging, thus causing the memorizing process to be less effective. This, in turn, leads to the worsening of one’s memory and is considered to be one of the causes for the onset of dementia. Their study reveals that the phenolic compounds found in champagne can slow down the loss of these proteins, thus also slowing down the aging process of the brain.

When compared to other products that contain phenolic compounds, such as white wine, champagne has the highest levels. Champagne is predominantly derived from Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier, which are types of red grapes, and Chardonnay, a type of white grapes. The phenolic compounds found in these particular types of grapes are considered to be the one that have the most beneficial effects on the brain. One of the authors of the study, professor Jeremy Spencer, notes that ”These exciting results illustrate for the first time that the moderate consumption of champagne has the potential to influence cognitive functioning, such as memory. Several precedent studies have shown that flavonoids, the compounds found in red wine, also have beneficial effects on the human organism, if consumed moderately.

The current study shows that even though champagne doesn’t contain flavonoids, its effect on the brain function and brain aging process is still present, being achieved by the phenolic acids. Professor Spencer advocates on a moderate consumption of alcohol, due to the fact that their study results show that even small quantities of champagne per week can be effective. The main author of the study, David Vauzour, adds that their future studies will focus on the transition of these studies to human models. Currently, the effect has been achieved through intake of other foods rich in polyphenol, such as cocoa and blueberries. Precedent studies that were conducted by research teams from the University of Reading showed that 2 glasses of champagne per day have favorable effects on both the heart and circulation and could be responsible for lowering the risk of cardiac arrest and other cardiovascular disorders.