Champagne: Global bubbles shortage could mean a flat festive season

With a week to go until Champagne Day, the news about a worldwide champagne shortage has us slightly rattled.

Picture: iStock

If you’ve noticed a steep increase in champagne prices over the last couple of months, you might be wondering what’s going on. Is it inflation? The pandemic? Why is your favourite nectar more expensive all of a sudden?

If you’ve been clutching your purse strings in the hopes of getting a good deal over the festive season, you are in for a not-so-bubbly surprise.

If the disturbing news of a global champagne shortage hasn’t reached your ears yet, we’re sorry to have to be the ones to put a cork in your December festivities.

While MCCs (methode cap classiques) like Pongraz, Boschendal, Simonsig and others are abound in South Africa, they can’t claim the name “champagne”. Only sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France can be called “champagne”.

Merchant of Wine reports that the shortage comes after champagne houses reduced the number of bottles they produced after demand fell in 2020 due to the lockdown.

Champagne celebrates record sales in 2022

Now that Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions are being eased, celebration is the order of the day, which is seeing a huge spike in demand for champagnes like Veuve Cliquot, Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon.

Champagne importer, Monsieur Ponto, warned two weeks ago about the champagne shortage, saying there is limited stock available worldwide.

He also warned that champagne prices might go up over the next few weeks as we head into the festive season.

Dear Champagne lovers,

We are officially in a Champagne shortage. There is limited stock available and this is worldwide.

Prices might even go up in the coming weeks.

On our side, my private clients will have Champagne stock available till January 2022.
— Monsieur Chevalier Ponto 🇿🇦 (@monsieurponto) September 28, 2021

While we’re not suggesting that you go on a panic-buying trip to stock up on your favourite champagne, we do recommend looking out for deals and taking advantage of them now before your favourite drink becomes either unavailable or unaffordable.

ALSO READ: A simple guide to drinking bourbon the right way

Can’t find Champagne? Try prosecco

Prosecco is a sparkling wine that’s produced in northeastern Italy, and is named after the Italian town Prosecco. While it has a bad rap as champagne’s cheaper alternative, it simply has a different name because it’s made in a different region and not in Champagne, France – the same as South Africa’s MCCs.

Here’s a few of our favourite proseccos to try when you can’t get your hands on champagne: