Champagne battle bubbles away as Penfolds pours at races despite rival’s rights

A battle of the bubbles has erupted at the Melbourne spring carnival after Penfolds secretly poured its new champagne for guests in its marquee, despite rival G.H. Mumm having exclusive champagne-pouring rights at Flemington.

Penfolds released its own champagne this year to market its 180th anniversary with a non-vintage champagne cuvee brut made in France.

Swimmer Emma McKeon unveils G.H. Mumm’s marquee at last month’s opening of the Birdcage with a magnum of champagne.Credit: Elke Meitzel

The South Australian wine brand has had a long-standing alliance with champagne house Thienot and has produced champagne under a joint label for years. Penfolds has even bought a chateau in France, which is undergoing restoration by French artisans and will be used as a “brand home”.

But Mumm’s sponsorship at the races hampered Penfolds’ ability to show off its new champagne. Instead, Penfolds didn’t list its champagne on the official drinks list and poured it in secret.

Guests who asked for champagne at Penfolds’ 14-metre bar upstairs in its marquee overlooking the parade ring were poured a glass from a bottle inside a large stubby holder. It was also served in a wine glass rather than a champagne glass.

On closer inspection, the bottle was clearly identifiable as Penfolds’ own champagne, with the Penfolds logo and “product of France” marked on it.

“If you cover the label and disguise the bottle, we would say that the champagne is being served blind,” said John Noble, director of the industry body Champagne Bureau Australia.

He confirmed the authenticity of Penfolds’ champagne.

The bar staff at Penfolds were pouring Penfolds champagne from bottles with their labels covered.Credit: Stephen Brook

But Kristy Keyte, global chief marketing officer at Penfolds, was less forthcoming when asked if Penfolds was pouring its own champagne at Flemington.

“I probably can’t talk too much about that because of Mumm. Mumm is the champagne partner,” she said.

Penfolds’ publicity team directed all questions to the Victoria Racing Club. When CBD asked the club whether Penfolds was allowed to pour its champagne, chief executive Kylie Rogers declined to answer the question specifically.

“Over the course of the Melbourne Cup carnival, more than 12,000 bottles of G.H. Mumm will be served, alongside more than 14,000 bottles of wine from the Penfolds range,” she said.

Over at Mumm, prestige manager Chris Sheehy was surprised to hear Penfolds could be pouring champagne at Flemington.

“As far as we know, it’s just us,” he said. “As the official sponsors, I mean, this is our 15th year. We are pretty sure it’s just us.”

Mumm’s marquee in the Birdcage included a conveyer belt of champagne.Credit: Elke Meitzel

Sheehy said it was interesting to see new entrants from Australia into the champagne market.

“I totally understand why they want to jump into it and want to play in champagne,” he said. “Because who doesn’t want to make a champagne? Who doesn’t want to drink the champagne?”

Indeed.

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