Take a deep breath and grab a chair, you might want to sit down before we tell you this… Though it pains us to an excruciating degree to break the news, it’s important we share this with you: we’re heading towards a Christmas Champagne shortage…
Before you start sweating, checking your pulse and bulk ordering online - the shortage won’t be massive. It’s just very unlikely we’ll see any deals this Christmas on Champagne, so you’ll have to put your money where your Champagne flute is if you’re looking for some bubbly to deck the halls. We fear getting a deal on Champagne may be completely out of the question when New Year’s Eve rolls around…
Due to the fall in demand over lockdown in 2020 (which does make sense…), Champagne houses took the decision to reduce the number of bottles produced as the Comité Champagne put a tight cap on the yields. Not only this, but many strong vintages are being held back to be released as vintage wines, leaving less to be used in a non-vintage blend Champagne. However, as people celebrate the easing of the pandemic’s icy grip, Champagne demand is picking up - a demand that will only increase as we come into the holiday season.
The question on many Champagne Agents’ lists is whether this lack of supply will trigger an increase in prices, allowing the affected houses to reduce losses. It’s not certain yet what will happen but we personally aren’t keen to see hiked up prices, especially after the financial and employment difficulties suffered over the course of the pandemic.
If you are feeling keen to begin stocking up, it’s always a good idea to look out for any deals that might be about and take advantage of them now. However, if it sounds like Champagne might just be too expensive for this Christmas - why not venture into the worlds of Cava and Prosecco.
Here’s a guide to the Proseccos we think you should be buying in 2021.