By Andy Young
The Australian consumer’s love affair with Champagne show no sign of abating anytime soon as the latest figures show a huge increase in the number of bottles imported in 2015.
Over 8.1 million bottles of Champagne were imported into Australia last year, cementing the country’s position as the sixth largest market by volume for Champagne. That number represents a 24.31 per cent increase in Champagne imports coming into Australia, by far the biggest increase in any of Champagne’s top 10 markets.
Elisabeth Drysdale, director of Australia’s Champagne Bureau, told TheShout: "I think Australian’s have always had a strong love affair with Champagne going back to the Gold Rush days. We have seen a lot more diverse range of NV's coming into the market and an increasingly educated on-trade.
"It also seems our economy has been relatively stable over the last two decades and I also think that Champagne is seen as an ‘affordable luxury’.”
Drysdale added: “Australians are more educated and passionate about Champagne than ever before. Over the last few decades, we have always remained in the top 10 markets for importing.
"Given we are also a wine producing country and are increasingly more educated about other wine regions around the world and in particular the Champagne appellation, I believe these figures are consistent for 2015."
The UK remains Champagne's biggest export market, with over 34.1 million bottles of French bubbles making their way across the English Channel. That represents a 4.52 per cent increase, while imports into the US, the second biggest market, grew by 7.09 per cent to over 20.5 million bottles. Germany (11.9m), Japan (11.7m) and Belgium (9.2m) round out Champagne's top five export markets.