Australia in record consumption of French champagne during the pandemic

Australians are paying the price for drinking a lot of expensive champagne during the pandemic, with supplies set to soon run out.

Australia’s insatiable thirst for pricey French champagne during the pandemic is about to have some costly ­consequences.

Low stock supply, increased freight costs and record demand has led to what one ­industry veteran describes as a “once in a lifetime” global shortage, with Australia – given its low market share and geographical position – set to cop a large chunk of the fallout.

Already some brands, including high-end favourite ­Ruinart (owned by luxury goods giant Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy), have disappeared from shelves across the country with doubts they will return to the market before next year.

Danielle Richardson, owner of Cellarbrations in Rozelle, pictured filling the champagne fridge where some high end brands are becoming increasingly difficult to buy. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Aldi, too, has seen several lines of their award-winning champagnes dry up, with one staffer telling The Sunday Telegraph this week they have “no idea” when supply will resume.

Other brands under the LVMH banner, including Veuve Clicquot and Moet, as well as Mumm (owned by Pernod Ricard), are also projected for significant price rises in coming months as French producers move to restrict supply from October.

In lockdown-hit 2020, Australia recorded the highest growth in champagne sales in the Western world – up 11.2 per cent, placing it now at No.6 globally for consumption.

In fact, Australia was the only country to buck the trend of falling sales, with the US, Japan and the UK all recording huge drops in imports last year.

“So while we are a small market, globally speaking, we are still a very important one,” said Shane Richardson, chief executive at Laundy Hotels which operates 15 bottle shop outlets nationally.

“The big brand owners see us as a very important because we tend to drink much more of the premium brands than almost anywhere else.”

But Mr Richardson said a “perfect storm of factors” – slow exports, slow production in France and peak global demand – could see Australians facing major bubbles shortages for the foreseeable future.

What this means for local buyers, according to top Australian Pernod Ricard rep Ken Mehr, is a lot more ‘sold out’ stickers and a lot more to pay for the most exclusive brands.

“I have never seen anything like this,” said Mehr, who attributes the recent relaxing of social restrictions in the US and Europe as a big reason supply to Australia has slowed.

“People have been limited by the pandemic in so many ways. They can’t travel. So if nothing else they want to drink champagne and they want the best stuff.”