Champagne producers try to regain fizz as weak pound dents UK sales

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March 30, 2017 at 11:55PM

As sales slide thanks to Brexit uncertainty and inflation, the French industry is turning to even more exclusive vintages

On every table in the modern concrete atrium, corks were popping as representatives of the main producers in the 300-year-old French champagne industry gathered for their annual London tasting. But the atmosphere was far from celebratory.

The biggest brands in the champagne market, from Moët & Chandon to Bollinger, were gathering on the same day that Theresa May officially triggered the UK’s departure from the EU. As a result, the crisp finish of a Pol Roger or a Veuve Cliquot was tempered by the sour taste of Brexit among the 500-plus attendees at Central Saint Martin’s art school, near the Eurostar terminal in St Pancras.

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