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Imports of champagne fell by five million bottles last year as Britons turned to alternatives such as cava and prosecco.
Figures today show imports slumped by 15 per cent from 35.98 to 30.52 million bottles, the lowest since 2002 and the second consecutive year to fall.
At the same time, we are buying more cheap fizz than champagne for the first time.
As well as the effects of the recession, demand for champagne has been hit by the weakness of the pound pushing up prices. Shop sales of champagne have held up better than in bars and restaurants with the shift to home entertaining, according to industry sources.
City commentator David Buik of broker BGC Partners said: “People are going out as much as they were two years ago but it is likely to be one bottle rather than two and sometimes cava rather than champagne.”
David Hesketh, managing director of Laurent Perrier in the UK, said: “People's habits have changed.” As well as the overall number falling, there has been a big trend towards “trading down”.
Mr Hesketh said: “Our prestige cuvée in the £120 to £150 range has not performed as well as we would have liked, sales have slowed significantly as people have traded down to prices in the mid £30 to £40 bracket.”
Although the fall is less dramatic than some forecasts at the start of the year, it will be a big worry for the champagne houses of northern France as Britain is by far their biggest export market.
Francoise Peretti, of the trade body the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, said: “I say thank you Britain, the UK market is extraordinary. I expected the 2009 figure to be down at least 20 per cent.”
Other countries have seen much bigger falls with US sales down by 27 per cent, Italy by 28 per cent and Russia by 57 per cent, she said.
In some parts of London the taste for champagne remains as strong as ever, however. The Westfield shopping centre is having to expand its champagne bar to cope. And importers said they were seeing the first tentative signs of recovery with sales in the first months of this year slightly up on last year.
The figures were released before the world's biggest champagne tasting at Banqueting House in Whitehall.
Figures contained in the Off Licence News 2010 brands report show Britons are buying more of the cheaper alternatives for the first time.
According to retail analysts Nielsen, sparkling wine sales were worth £325million in the year to January, while £324 million of champagne was sold in the same period.
Reader views (4)
Well it has been a tough year for the champagne socialists even they have had to reduce their consumption.
- Tony, London, England, 16/03/2010 09:41
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well its only fizzy wine, so whats the problem.
- Bill, Hove Sussex, 15/03/2010 17:05
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Only a few palates could claim o distinguish Champagne from Cava, and it's a credit to the Champagne advertising campaign that its success has been so continuous. One is only left to think what will happen in 10 years when new world and Cava producers really get their acts together.
Like with most other wines today the French have a serious battle pending to justify the grossly overated prices charged for champagne.
Westfield whilst being a good shopping mall rteally does have a munchkin champagne bar comparable to that at Kings Cross St. Pancras and it would of been good to see how Kings Cross were faring.
Having said that I most certainly would buy a bottle to celebrate the start of the regeneration of the UK when Brown and his lunatics are finally rounded up and sent packing to the asylum they somehow managed to escape from 13 years ago.
- Robert Marshall, London, 15/03/2010 16:05
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so it could'nt possibly be the fact that prices have gone sky high in the supermarket,!
- Davey_Bouy, Chertsey, 15/03/2010 13:14
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