Giles Fallowfield

Reducing yields not an option, Champagne union says

The president of the main Champagne growers’ union has said cutting yields is ‘unacceptable’.

Champagne boss calls for massive cut in yields

A senior Champagne boss has called for yields to be slashed for the 2009 harvest.

Rosé fizz sales fall in UK

Sales of rosé Champagne have fallen in the last 12 months – despite the annual Valentine’s Day and Christmas peaks.

Champagne shipments plummet

Champagne shipments worldwide fell by over 20% in October, according to the region’s representative association, the CIVC.

Majestic profits down, Champagne sales falling

Majestic Wine said today that a 6.4% fall in sales of Champagne, led by a cutback in corporate spending, has hit profits.

Champagne shipments and exports hit new high

Exports of Champagne grew for the seventh year in succession - and reached a record high last year.

Champagne prices to rise by as much as 10% next year

A rise in the cost of Champagne grapes will lead to price hikes for all Champagnes in the UK next year.

France aims to extend Champagne region

The French national appellations body will look to add 40 new communes to the already vast Champagne region in order to cater for increased demand.

Record harvest in Champagne

The 2007 harvest in Champagne is set to result in the largest volume of wine ever produced in the appellation.

Champagne house Roederer looks at English vineland

Top Champagne house Louis Roederer – maker of Cristal - has been looking round vineyards in Kent and Sussex with a view to producing English sparkling wine in the future.

Gascony: The Great Wine Route

Tucked away in southwest France, with no major cities, airports or motorways, Gascony is the perfect place to get away from it all – once you’ve got there yourself. By GILES FALLOWFIELD

Champagne Crus control

Champagne revels in its exclusivity, yet its 17 grand cru vineyards remain largely unknown. GILES FALLOWFIELD asks what each brings to the table, and why they don’t appear on the label.��

The Region of Champagne: In Focus

Champagne – currently the best-performing region in France in terms of wine sales – is now following Burgundy’s example, creating premier cru sparkling wines from single-vineyard sites. As Giles Fallowfield discovers, it’s not just a passing trend

Champagne for Visitors: Reims

Can you save money by travelling to Champagne to buy your fizz? Not always, says Giles Fallowfield, but you can visit the great houses, and discover new names.

Champagne region: Lovely bubbly

Just three hours' drive from Calais, Champagne is well worth a trip. Explore the region, taste on-site and choose from a huge range of keenly priced bottles. GILES FALLOWFIELD provides a visitors' guide

Priorato flourish

It's 20 years since a small group of winemakers took a huge risk in the remote Spanish mountains. Today, as GILES FALLOWFIELD discovers, the Priorato DO is flourishing

The perfect blend of non-vintage Champagne

Finding the fizz: the Champagne Millennium

As clocks chimned in the new millennium, party revellers drank more Champagne than ever. Giles Fallowfield tells how the Champenois met the demand.

Wild west: Australian Wines

As Australia's regional styles get more defined, Western Australia emerges as an area of varied and maybe confusing traits. GILES FALLOWFILED reports As regular and interested consumers of Australian wine will probably have noticed, broad regional differences in wine styles are becoming increasingly discernible Down Under. While it used to be simply Australian Shiraz or Australian Chardonnay, or the still more basic Aussie white or red, today in UK retail outlets – even in supermarkets – wines are increasingly sold with a regional identity attached.

Italy: Forgotten World

Roman ruins, medieval city states and a vibrant cuisine are among the treasures of central Italy's largely undiscovered Marche region. GILES FALLOWFIELD reports on his own grand tour.