Champagne sales are now entering their third "great phase", according to a leading producer.

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, speaking at the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Masterclass in London, explained how the champagne market is changing.

The first phase of growth came from the eighteenth century to the start of the Second World War in 1939. The second phase then followed from 1945 to 2000.

With the development of the emerging markets and the globalisation of tastes and interests, Mr Taittinger believes the last three years have formulated the beginning of the third phase of Champagne sales growth.

The Drinks Business reports him as saying: "Half of the world were not Champagne consumers before, and 90 per cent of Champagne was drunk in Europe and the US, but now China, Japan, Russia and South America are becoming a vast market."

But it is not just the market for Champagne that is evolving, the wines themselves are reaping the benefits of climate change.

While environmentalists worry about the effect rising temperatures are having on the polar ice caps, Mr Taittinger said there is no doubt that Champagne vineyards have been benefitting from warmer growing seasons for the last decade.

Such is the quality of the grapes now being produced, he suggests the non-vintage should be reclassified as a "multi-vintage".

He explained: "I am anxious about global warming for the long term, but for last ten years it has been excellent for Champagne.

"Now the non-vintage is a multi-vintage, like our friends at Krug have been saying, and our non-vintage is consistently a multi-vintage."

Growers in Champagne have recently been left to reflect on a "unique" growing season, with an exceptionally hot spring followed by mixed conditions throughout the summer.

While the Chardonnay has largely been excellent, the results with Pinot Noir have been more mixed.