Can you imagine strolling the streets in the town of Champagne and seeing nothing but...Prosecco bars? This is the fate that Claude Giraud of Champagne Henri Giraud hopes to never see come to pass. In an interview with Vitabella, Giraud maintains that Champagne as a region must preserve quality over quantity, as chasing the mass market would have disastrous consequences for the region. He elaborates:
"Because I believe that the industrial approach that started during the 1960s - a reproducible approach - is not good, neither for us nor for Champagne in general. Champagne is now flooded by a large offer of sparkling wines and I want to say it clearly today: If Champagne continues like that, Prosecco bars will flourish in Reims and Epernay. This is the reason why I agree with the Champagne 2030 initiative that recommends a return to excellence in which we have always believed. But we must go further, faster, and stronger. We must come back to the fundamentals that made the great wines of Champagne."
What is the future of Champagne? How much of what occurs in terms of production and price should be a reaction to shifts in sparkling wine consumption? Or should the region, as Giraud suggests, stay strong and true to what makes it special?
