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+--- Forum: Champagne/Sparkling Wine (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-20.html)
+--- Thread: Shortage???? (/thread-10855.html)
- RickBin389 - 08-25-1999
What's the deal with the alledged champagne shortage? - I socked away several cases of Cliquot 90' & Dom 90' when the buzz first started going around - now, my distribs are "finding" a few cases of the good stuff laying around. (Seems the games are never ending down here in bug land). My question;
What are the best bubbles still available on the market?
- n144mann - 08-25-1999
Rick, I can't be much help to you because I am not totally in the loop, but what I have heard through my retailer is that they are getting shorted left and right up here. In fact, some of their reps (Veuve was one) are canceling their long standing traditions of tasting dinners etc, because they do not have enough to supply their retailers. I thought perhaps it was a local thing....but guess not??? My retailer told me he had one more small shipment of Cliquot coming in. What is still out there?? Good question! Only the distributors know near as I can tell.
Nancy
[This message has been edited by n144mann (edited 08-25-99).]
- Thomas - 08-25-1999
If anything, the so-called shortage will help many of us discover those wonderful sparklers hidden out there at value prices. Look to the Finger Lakes in NY and Spain.
- Jason - 08-25-1999
The shortage is coming. The names are very allocated and even smaller names are getting there. Enough major players are stashing that this in itself will cause shortages. Remember that markets all over the world that never buy the stuff will be wanting it this year.
- Kcwhippet - 08-26-1999
I have spoken with a number of retailers and wholesalers around here, and the consensus is that the millenium shortage has become a self fulfilling prophecy. They (the producers and their marketing weenies)have been shouting the shortage so loudly that consumers, who normally wouldn't, have been laying in larger supplies of bubbly than usual, even if only a few bottles. Coupled with the fact that there are more consumers all over the world than in other years preparing to celebrate the event with bubbly, they have created a percieved shortage. Also, as mentioned above, they are telling me they believe the producers are holding back stocks to unload as we get even closer. I wonder what will happen next year at this time. Since the millenium doesn't actually change over until January 1, 2001 (that's right - 2001), will the producers and marketers do this all over again? Time will tell. Fortunately, we have a large enough store of the sparklers already in our cellar, so we don't have to succumb to the hype.
[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 08-26-99).]
- Randy Caparoso - 08-26-1999
As many of us in the service industry have expected, it's the wines of traditionally greatest demand (Dom, Cristal, La Grande Dame, etc.) that are in short supply, if not long depleted. Only finite quantities of such top-of-the-line cuvees, after all, are available at any given time. I suspect that the same will be true for California counterparts (Roederer Estate's L'Ermitage, Domaine Carneros's La Reve, Iron Horse's Late Disgorged Brut, etc.).
However, few of us have taken warnings of shortage of "main line" bottlings -- nonvintage French Bruts, average quality California sparklers, etc. -- seriously. Indeed, up until this year there has been a serious excess of such wines in the international market. I don't think that even two consecutive Millenniums in a row will be enough to put a dent into this longstanding oversupply.
- tomstevenson - 08-30-1999
The "Millennium factor" is not about one night, but spans three years: 1999 as people buy in for the coming New Year, which most people shall celebrate as the New Millennium, regardless of the fact that 2001 will be the first year (as kcwhippet correctly pointed out; 2000 because it is not simply individuals getting pissed at a party, but will mean that every national, commercial, institutional and sporting event that happens to have an anniversary in 2000 will make it special; and 2001 for all those whose anniversary did not coincide with 2000 because they will celebrate the true New Millennium.
In a global sense there will be no Champagne shortage because there is enough stock to cover bumper sales in all three years. The bubbly won't run out, but specific cuvees are produced in limited quantities and always run out, so if you want a particular vintage of a certain name you should buy it when you see it. If you leave it till later, you'll probably find the next vintage available or you will have to accept a different brand.
- tomstevenson - 08-30-1999
The "Millennium factor" is not about one night, but spans three years: 1999 as people buy in for the coming New Year, which most people shall celebrate as the New Millennium, regardless of the fact that 2001 will be the first year (as kcwhippet correctly pointed out; 2000 because it is not simply individuals getting pissed at a party, but will mean that every national, commercial, institutional and sporting event that happens to have an anniversary in 2000 will make it special; and 2001 for all those whose anniversary did not coincide with 2000 because they will celebrate the true New Millennium.
In a global sense there will be no Champagne shortage because there is enough stock to cover bumper sales in all three years. The bubbly won't run out, but specific cuvees are produced in limited quantities and always run out, so if you want a particular vintage of a certain name you should buy it when you see it. If you leave it till later, you'll probably find the next vintage available or you will have to accept a different brand.
- tomstevenson - 08-30-1999
The "Millennium factor" is not about one night, but spans three years: 1999 as people buy in for the coming New Year, which most people shall celebrate as the New Millennium, regardless of the fact that 2001 will be the first year (as kcwhippet correctly pointed out; 2000 because it is not simply individuals getting pissed at a party, but will mean that every national, commercial, institutional and sporting event that happens to have an anniversary in 2000 will make it special; and 2001 for all those whose anniversary did not coincide with 2000 because they will celebrate the true New Millennium.
In a global sense there will be no Champagne shortage because there is enough stock to cover bumper sales in all three years. The bubbly won't run out, but specific cuvees are produced in limited quantities and always run out, so if you want a particular vintage of a certain name you should buy it when you see it. If you leave it till later, you'll probably find the next vintage available or you will have to accept a different brand.
- tomstevenson - 08-30-1999
The "Millennium factor" is not about one night, but spans three years: 1999 as people buy in for the coming New Year, which most people shall celebrate as the New Millennium, regardless of the fact that 2001 will be the first year (as kcwhippet correctly pointed out; 2000 because it is not simply individuals getting pissed at a party, but will mean that every national, commercial, institutional and sporting event that happens to have an anniversary in 2000 will make it special; and 2001 for all those whose anniversary did not coincide with 2000 because they will celebrate the true New Millennium.
In a global sense there will be no Champagne shortage because there is enough stock to cover bumper sales in all three years. The bubbly won't run out, but specific cuvees are produced in limited quantities and always run out, so if you want a particular vintage of a certain name you should buy it when you see it. If you leave it till later, you'll probably find the next vintage available or you will have to accept a different brand.
- tomstevenson - 08-30-1999
My browser got stuck and seems to have posted several copies of my reply above. Would someone kindly remove all but one and this note as well? Thanks.