AlexRaths/Getty Images/iStockphoto
The question
I'm accustomed to paying $70 and up for Champagne in Ontario. Now I see all sorts starting at just above $40. Why are there so many less-expensive options, and are they any good?
The answer
Wine deflation – it seems like a dream, doesn't it? Short answer: Yes, they're generally pretty good. I should specify, as you imply, that "Champagne" refers to the bona fide sparkling wine of the eponymous region of northern France. There exist many fine bubblies for much less than $40, including those of Canada, California, New Zealand, Australia and South America. Even France produces lovely sparkling wines made according to high-quality Champagne standards that are labelled "Crémant," which tend to run about $20
Most authentic Champagnes do, indeed, orbit around the $60 mark, with many superluxury, cellar-worthy cuvées priced in the three digits. Here's one theory for the downward trend you perceive. There's an ocean of Champagne in France and for the longest time only a smattering of big designer brands enjoyed a stranglehold on distribution in North America. Those brands have been able to push up prices thanks to a new, growing population of wine aficionados willing to spend like Jay-Z on recognizable, highly promoted bling beverages. In some cases those familiar wines are made by companies with financial interests in the luxury fashion trade, where high prices create the cachet of exclusivity.
And so a vacuum emerged. Lesser-known brands gained traction with retailers willing to supply the rest of us with decent Champagne that comes without the built-in expense of humongous advertising budgets. A parallel trend has taken root, too. Many Champagne grape-growers that used to sell their crop to the huge, dominant Champagne blending houses like Veuve Clicquot and Mumm now have taken to bottling their own wines on a small scale. These so-called "grower Champagnes" are in many cases just as interesting – if not more – to many consumers as those of the large blending houses.
There's never been a better selection of fine bubbly on the market.
The Flavour Principle by Lucy Waverman and Beppi Crosariol recently took home top prize for best general English cookbook at the Taste Canada Food Writing Awards. Published by HarperCollins.
E-mail your wine and spirits questions to Beppi Crosariol. Look for answers to select questions to appear in the Wine & Spirits newsletter and on The Globe and Mail website.