Champagne is back in vogue, study finds
The champagne corks are beginning to pop again in spite of money still being tight for many people, according to a new report from research analysts Nielsen.
Sales of champagnes like Krug and Bollinger rose by 14.6 per cent in 2009 compared with the previous year, while sales in the 12 months leading to March totalled £334 million.
Meanwhile, sales of other sparkling wines increased 11 per cent by value and five per cent by volume during this period.
"Promotions by retailers and increased consumer confidence have encouraged people to splash out on champagne again," the Daily Telegraph reports Adam Leyland, editor of the Grocer magazine, as saying.
The trend also seems to be spreading to Australia, after the Sydney Morning Herald noted that champagnes like Moet, Veuve Clicquot and Bollinger have "never been so popular" in the country, which saw volume growth of 18 per cent in 2009.