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CHAMPAGNE

French winemaker introduces colour-changing Champagne bottle

A small winemaker in northern France has launched a Champagne bottle that changes colour and design when it reaches the correct temperature.

Published: 9 March 2019 09:04 CET
French winemaker introduces colour-changing Champagne bottle
Nicolas Le Tixerand (R) and Frank Leroux of Infinite Eight Champagne present two bottles of champagne bearing rose patterns which appear when the bottle is at the right temperature. Photo: FRANCOIS NA
The white bottle, containing 2008 Champagne, becomes covered with pink butterflies and musical notes when chilled and ready to drink.
 
The Infinite Eight Champagne, produced in Ville-Dommange near Reims, northeastern France — will be launched in Japan this month, followed by France in April.
 
To achieve the bubbly effect, co-designed with French food packaging company Distripac, the bottles are covered in a plastic film, which reacts to the cold thanks to a thermoreactive varnish.
 
“It's a first. We are the only ones to do it in the Champagne region,” of northern France, said Nicolas le Tixerand, head of the small family firm which stretches back generations. 
 
“It's a marketing device. It's also a fun way of learning when a bottle of champagne is ready to be drunk.” he told AFP.
 
According to the official Champagne website, the ideal temperature to serve bubbly is 8-10 degrees Celsius (47-50 degrees Fahrenheit).
 

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CHAMPAGNE

French Champagne makers threaten boycott of Russia over ‘sparkling wine’ label

Russian elites could soon find themselves without their favourite French bubbles if Moet Hennessy makes good on a threat to halt champagne supplies following a new law signed by President Vladimir Putin.

Published: 5 July 2021 09:44 CEST
French Champagne makers threaten boycott of Russia over 'sparkling wine' label
Russian lawmakers adopted legislation saying the word "champagne" can only be applied to wine produced in Russia. Photo: Alexander NEMENOV / AFP.

Moet Hennessy’s Russia office warned local partners it was suspending supplies after Russian lawmakers adopted legislation stipulating that the word “champagne” can only be applied to wine produced in Russia, while the world-famous tipple from France’s Champagne region should be called “sparkling wine”.

Leonid Rafailov, general director of AST, a top liquor distributor which works with a number of brands including Moet Hennessy, said on Saturday his firm had received a letter from the French company notifying it of the suspension.

“I confirm that such a letter exists, and it is justified,” Rafailov told AFP.

He said that in accordance with the legislation – signed off on by Putin on Friday – the company would have to undergo new registration procedures, among other requirements.

Sebastien Vilmot, Moet Hennessy managing director in Russia, declined to speak to AFP.

But in a statement released through Rafailov, Vilmot called the suspension a “temporary” measure before a solution could be found.

Moet Hennessy is part of French luxury goods group LVMH and known for such brands as Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon.

The French are fiercely protective of the term “champagne”, and it can only be made in the French region of the same name.

A copy of Moet Hennessy’s letter was first published on social media on Friday by a representative of a Moscow-based liquor importer and distributor.

Drinks market expert Vadim Drobiz suggested the legislation was open to interpretation but added that Moet Hennessy’s share of the Russian market was relatively small and well-heeled clients could find a replacement.

“If there is no Moet, there won’t be a state coup and Russian elites will not commit suicide,” Drobiz quipped.

But wine consultant Anna Chernyshova questioned the purpose of the amendments. “My phone has been ringing off the hook,” she said. “Me and my clients are thinking what to do next.”

Chernyshova, who helps people build wine collections, said she was not sure why the Russian parliament had passed such a law. “How will they walk back on it?” she told AFP. “So many officials love this champagne.”

Social media was abuzz with jokes, with wits making fun of the latest piece of Russian legislation. “Now it’s necessary to ban Scots and Americans from using the word “whisky”, joked restaurateur Sergei Mironov.

Popular singer Vasya Oblomov said Russian lawmakers could now adopt similar legislation regulating the use of the name “Mercedes” and even place names.

“I thought it was a joke,” wrote Putin’s self-exiled critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky. “I was wrong.”

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