LIQUID INVESTMENTS
MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Krone among brands that have withstood Italian bubbly invasion
Bubbly has gone from being an occasional celebration beverage to an almost everyday aperitif
For most producers of champagne-method sparkling wine, known in SA as methode cap classique, the enterprise is a little like the vinous equivalent of writing a sonnet. The form is both the vehicle and the limitation. The opportunity for genius presents itself out of the discipline imposed by rules. Champagne has always been the implicit benchmark, so winemakers, wherever they work, find themselves unable to escape its gravitational pull. SA’s cap classique producers have been rewarded with booming sales over the past 15 years, a tribute to their professionalism and the fashion for fizz. Over the same period champagne imports have doubled. Bubbly has gone from being an occasional celebration beverage at birthdays, weddings and Christmas to an almost everyday aperitif. This is how it is treated in France, and increasingly in the UK. However, while Britain has always been a very important market for the French, the rise of English champagne-method sparkling wine and the prosecco invasi...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.