Champagne price war sets high street fizzing

12 April 2012

A spectacular champagne price war will be declared on the high street tomorrow with three major supermarkets launching cut-price deals.

In a year when global champagne sales have slumped by 15 per cent, Britain is awash with cut-price fizz in the run-up to Christmas.

Waitrose, Sainsbury's and the Co-op are all launching deals today with prices cut by 50 per cent or more as the big chains entice shoppers into their stores with deep discounts.

Waitrose is tomorrow halving the price of its 2004 Duval-Leroy Blanc de Blancs to £14.99, the deepest discount it has ever offered on a vintage fizz.

Sainsbury's said it is cutting the price of its Etienne Dumont Brut Champagne from £27.99 to £15.99 on single bottles - also from tomorrow - with a further 25 per cent discount for boxes of six reducing the price per bottle to £11.99.

The Co-op is cutting the price of its Cazanove Grand Apparat champagne from £30 to £15 from tomorrow.

Wine experts said there had not been a better time to buy top quality fizz as the recession had created a champagne lake. About 40 per cent of all the champagne sold in Britain is bought in the run-up to Christmas. One said: "It is a simply brilliant time to buy champagne, you won't be able to buy it this cheaply again, perhaps ever."

Sales have been hit by the global downturn and by increased production from the champagne growers in recent years. Even major producers said they had no problems with the deals.

Francoise Proetti, spokeswoman for the Champagne Information Bureau, said: "What we are seeing this year is retailers fighting for footfall and we are very happy champagne is in the news."

Tesco
Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top
2 bottles for £25 since yesterday
"Gently spicy, aromatic and rich with toasty, buttery flavours."

Tesco
Taittinger Brut Reserve
Reduced 35 per cent to £22 today "Nose fruity and bready. Exudes aromas of peach, white flowers and vanilla."

Co-op
Cazanove Grand Apparat
£15 (half price) tomorrow "Expressive, elegant nose. Texture is delightfully fine."

Waitrose
Duval-Leroy Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2004
£14.99 (half price) tomorrow "Transparent, crisp, focused style with an aromatic lemony nose and crisp flavours of apples, lemons and herbs."

Sainsbury's
Etienne Dumont Brut Champagne Reduced 57 per cent to £11.99* tomorrow "Slight hint of raspberry sharpness and something a bit grapey."

Sainsbury's
GH Martel Champagne Brut
£14.99 (half price)* tomorrow "Delicate, subtle tropical fruit (mango) and floral aromas (roses). Extremely fresh on the palate."

* minimum six bottles

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