Published: 09 October, 2026
“My grandfather lived until 90 and passed away in 2003 and never experienced an August harvest. But this is the sixth August harvest in the last decade,” Gilles Dumangin of Champagne Dumangin told me as I witnessed first hand the earliest harvest on record. This had been an extraordinary year. 2026 had started with a warm winter that triggered early budburst, followed by spring frost, severe summer drought and five heatwaves. And, as Champagne Ayala’s cellar master Julian Gout put it, climate change sceptics should “come and see for themselves”.
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Published: 15 September, 2026
Hugo Drappier and Harpers invited a panel of leading sommeliers to discuss brut nature and overlooked old varieties, asking how such innovative wines fit with the modern sommelier and contemporary cuisine.
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Published: 11 September, 2026
Trade body Comité Champagne (or CIVC) has detailed its assessment of the grape harvest in the famous region.
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Published: 10 September, 2026
Wine and spirits merchant Amathus has added eight producers to its wine agency portfolio – ranging from a grower champagne to a Novia Scotia producer by way of a historic Lambrusco estate.
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Published: 07 September, 2026
Since Laurent-Perrier pioneered the modern zero dosage style of champagne with the launch of its Ultra Brut in 1981, the practice has been adopted by many Champagne houses, thanks in no small part to the effects of climate change. As there is no addition of sugar in the creation of non-dosage, winemakers must rely on greater ripening of the grapes to achieve balance and the correct acidity, and progressively warmer growing seasons mean producers are now achieving phenolic ripeness and higher natural sugar levels at harvest, as sommelier and wine consultant Jonathan Kleeman explains.
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Published: 01 September, 2026
Leading wine importers Alliance Wine, Hallgarten & Novum Wines and Graft Wine have all unveiled new additions to their portfolios.
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Published: 28 August, 2026
Champagne Drappier has reported the earliest-ever harvest in its over-200-year-old history, after growing conditions it described as “remarkably warm and dry”.
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Champagne House Louis Roederer has acquired Burgundy’s Domaine Pierre Damoy which will now form part of the ‘Roederer Collection’.
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This year’s marketable yield for champagne has been set at 8,800 kg/ha – the equivalent of about 252 million bottles* of wine.
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Rooted as it is in a long history of tradition, governed by strict production rules and regarded as a timeless symbol of wealth and luxury, Champagne’s relationship to innovation is probably not the first thing that springs to mind when the corks are popping. But the reality is that the region has been a pioneering force over the centuries in both the vineyards and the wineries, and probably never more so than now as it battles its worst enemy since phylloxera – climate change.
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González Byass UK has announced that it will be the UK distributor of G.H. Martel & Co’s well-known champagne brands G.H. Martel, Maison Vieille France and Cuvée Victoire from 1 July 2026.
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Maisons Marques et Domaines has announced that it will be taking on UK distribution for Champagne Deutz from 1 July 2026.
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Moët Hennessy has announced a new long-term partnership with Silverstone (‘the home of the British Grand Prix’), with Moët & Chandon becoming its official champagne.
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Crémant has recently seen rapid growth in the UK, driven by value-led premiumisation and an increasing interest in regional exploration, according to producer Grands Chais de France (GCF).
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The English wine trade has reached a point of maturity that would have seemed unlikely just 20 years ago. English sparkling wine, produced using the traditional method, has secured critical acclaim, strong on-trade presence and a reputation for quality that now comfortably sits alongside champagne. That achievement should not be underestimated: it has validated English viticulture, attracted serious capital investment and helped build a premium image for the category.
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Published: 09 April, 2026
Independent importer Graft Wine has announced the addition of third-generation family grower Champagne Pertois-Moriset to its portfolio.
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Published: 08 April, 2026
The volume of champagne shipments to the UK grew by +1.9% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to figures from Comité Champagne.
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Published: 07 April, 2026
Speaking from Denomination’s NYC HQ, Hamish Campbell runs Andrew Catchpole through spirits’ need to ‘find their Champagne moment’.
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Published: 27 March, 2026
Applications have opened for the ninth edition of the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge.
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Published: 02 March, 2026
Champagne house Laurent-Perrier and Berkshire’s Newbury Racecourse have unveiled a three-year partnership.
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