Aussies toast price and quality of local bubbles

The bubble has burst on the champagne market with ­Aussie revellers switching to pocket-friendly local sparkling wines as cost-of-living pressures put a cork in champagne sales.

The bubble has burst on the champagne market with ­Aussie revellers switching to pocket-friendly local sparkling wines as cost-of-living pressures put a cork in champagne sales.

The founders of restoke.ai, an AI-powered restaurant management software program, said venues were ­shifting priorities to satisfy changing customer demand.

The company’s latest data dive into wine orders placed in October, by 600 restaurants stocking their cellars ahead of the Christmas rush, revealed champagne has lost its sparkle.

Compared to October 2023, orders for champagne were down 51.4 per cent.

Prosecco, the Italian answer to the traditional French favourites, saw a 15 per cent rise in orders. But it was “any other sparkling wine” that left traditional choices with a hangover – up 300 per cent as venues steered towards value-for-money local options.

Martha Spalding and Stella Gylling enjoy sparkling Australian white wine at Alpha in the CBD. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

According to leading restaurateurs, the catalyst has been cost-of-living pressures, awareness that quality Australian alternatives are increasingly available, and a desire to “go sustainable”.

Con Dedes, managing director of the Dedes Waterfront Group that boasts Flying Fish, Alpha and Sala, said: “Price point would be No.1. It’s because the quality of ­Aussie sparkling now is akin to what we’ve been used to over the years with French champagnes, and people are realising that.

“Some of the stuff coming out of Tasmania and parts of Victoria is incredible. So why pay a premium?

“The desire to buy local would almost be in a dead heat with price.”

Sebastian Khouri, general manager at Mediterranean venue MISC. Parramatta, said: “We’ve definitely seen people moving away from international champagnes to Australian sparkling.

“It’s the combination of a rise in cost of living and people wanting to support local Australian brands.

“But we’re also getting a lot of more questions these days about our produce … is it local, where are we sourcing it from, the whole sustainable piece.

“There’s also the reality that Australian sparkling is a quality product, and you don’t have to pay extra for the brand status or the marketing.”

Josh Brown, from Tasmanian restaurant Apricus, added: “Moving away from the traditional champagnes has been a gradual thing but it’s really exploded over the last couple of years.

“Buy local and you remove the carbon footprint that occurs when you’re importing from halfway around the world.

“Melbourne Cup and New Year’s Eve is when people will stump up extra,” he said. “Otherwise it’s pretty clear people are going Aussie.”

Restoke.ai co-founder and CEO Assaf Stizki said artificial intelligence also was allowing venues to optimise their operations and better understand the trends in sales.

“They’re consolidating their wine lists as they collect greater understanding of customers’ drinking habits,” he said.

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