Is Champagne Bubbled Out?

I normally reserve any Times article for Thursday's entry but there was one in today's Saturday's Business section that caught my eye. It was about champagne going flat - no not that kind of flat but flat lining it in sales. A lot of the major companies like Moet-Chandon and the ever expensive Veuve-Cliquot are reporting worldwide losses. That means that the companies are going down in price overseas mostly in Britain and France. Hopefully the price will go down as well.

Let's face it though, Champagne is a tough sell. I ordered it for my birthday dinner not long ago. the maitre d' suggested I try Prosecco which was fifty dollars cheaper. I did and was glad. Now I'm a Prosecco fan for life and will probably run to that for any kind of celebratory drinking. I'm also loyal to Prosecco's cousin Asti, thanks to my Piemontese heritage . As a life long New Jersey resident I will probably forgo any overseas champagne and stick to my beloved Tommisello winery's vintages or even some Napa Valley Asti or Prosecco.

Should you buy a bottle of champagne during these hard economic times? You can, but maybe save it for a romantic evening or anniversary or celebrate that everyone still has their jobs with a few close office pals.I wouldn't serve it at a family Christmas party. Relatives usually expect wine or some other kind of mixed drink(unless of course it's to announce something special like an engagement or a promotion). have a few bottles for new year's . The best bet is look for sales along with comparison shop and go for the best deal.

If you want to help the industry buy a bottle of champagne. The pricing should be good these days and it does pay to have one or two bottles in the house. It's rare that champagne goes on sale. This alone should be reason to celebrate.