Piper-Heidsieck Archives

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

Champagne 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

Piper-Heidsieck hires UK Champagne Brand Ambassador Jean-Claude Di Lizia

Cecile Bonnefond, chief executive of Piper-Heidsieck has hired Jean-Claude Di Lizia, a dedicated UK Champagne brand ambassador to sell Piper-Heidsieck’s five champagne products in Britain.

Bonnefond, who ran Veuve Clicquot for nine years, said: “The UK is very sophisticated when it comes to champagne and the UK sets the tempo. It is a very important market for us – number two after France. We hope to grow our distribution and brand here.”

Bonnefond, who joined the French family-owned Societe Europeenne de Participations Industrielles (EPI) last year when it bought Piper-Heidsieck from spirits group Remy Cointreau, is restructuring the business and plans to take the brand more upmarket.

Bonnefond has recently launched “Black Cancan” designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier which was sold at Selfridges.

Liz Palmer

@Champagnehouses

PIPER-HEIDSIECK LAUNCHES “BODYGUARD”

Champagne Piper-Heidsieck has wrapped its new limited edition ‘Bodyguard’ Champagne in a ‘sexy red crocodile skin’ for its launch this month.

The 75cl Champagne Brut, in a lipstick red faux crocodile skin sheath, is “a perfect example of how innovative and audacious this brand can be”, says Matthew Hodges, Rémy Cointreau Global Travel Retail Marketing Director. “Although Rémy Cointreau Global Travel Retail will distribute only small quantities of this limited edition in travel retail, it will bring a halo of excitement to the whole brand.”  

Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Bodyguard will be sold in selected travel retail outlets, with the initial rollout in Aelia, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport stores.

Tasting Notes from Piper-Heidsieck as having ‘springtime citrus aromas with notes of apples and pears’.

Liz Palmer – Wine and Travel Writer
Member of the Circle of Wine Writers (UK)
http://twitter.com/champagnehouses

Champagne Expert Coming To New Zealand To Share Secrets

Communications Director for Piper-Heidsieck, Christian Holthausen is coming to New Zealand to educate New Zealanders on the art of serving and drinking champagne.

The American-born champagne expert divides his time between Maison Piper-Heidsieck in Reims, France and traveling the four corners of the world sharing his knowledge of champagne production, history and culture.

Mr Holthausen represents two of the most prestigious champagne brands in the world, Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck, both blended by Chef de Caves Régis Camus, awarded the “Sparkling Winemaker of the Year” trophy by London’s International Wine Challenge in 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Piper-Heidsieck has been producing champagne since 1785. Known for its extravagance and style, Piper-Heidsieck was the preferred champagne of Marie-Antoinette at the Royal Court of Versailles. and Marilyn Monroe who once famously declared that she started each morning with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck. Over the years, Piper-Heidsieck has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion and design, from Jean-Paul Gaultier to Jaime Hayon to Viktor + Rolf to most recently, Christian Louboutin.

Not one to be ignored, Charles Heidsieck has a rich history in its own right and is widely recognized as one of the most critically acclaimed champagnes by the most discriminating juries.

Few New Zealanders know that Robert Falcon Scott left Christchurch with several cases of Charles Heidsieck with him on his ill-fated journey to the South Pole in 1910, or that Queen Elizabeth II was served Charles Heidsieck by President Eisenhower on her first official visit to the United States after her coronation in 1952.

Mr Holthausen says he is looking forward to sharing his passion for the Champagne region -“Champagne is one of the most spectacular wines in the world, albeit one that needs to be demystified. It is perfect on so many occasions, from the simplest to the most extravagant,” says Mr Holthausen.

During his stay in New Zealand, Mr Holthausen will be hosting an exclusive Champagne Master Class before traveling around the country as part of the Hancocks Winemakers Tour, revealing some of the secrets of champagne to the nation’s top wine trade.