Outrage as the London Annual Champagne Tasting is cancelled

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 28 July, 2016

The committee which organises the annual London event has announced that it will not be holding this year's tasting - and doesn't know when or if it will return to the UK.

The committee which organises the London Annual Champagne Tasting has announced that it will not be holding this year's tasting - and doesn't know when or if it will return to the UK.

After 20 years being held in London, Françoise Peretti, director of the Champagne Bureau UK, said it was time to "pause" activity in the UK for the time being in order to "explore other opportunities".

The decision has been criticised by those in the trade, including Andrew Hawes, chairman of the UK Champagne Agents Association and managing director of Champagne Bollinger's agent Mentzendorff.

Hawes has this morning expressed "widespread dismay" felt within the Champagne Agents Association at the news and is urging the committee to reconsider its decision.

"The United Kingdom remains the largest export market for Champagne, and London is the principle shop-window from which to promote Champagne to a global audience. We appreciate and welcome the opportunity to develop and evolve the event, but it is a mistake to evaluate it purely as a 'tasting', or to view it only within the context of the UK market," he said.

"In addition to supporting Champagne sales in excess of 30 million bottles per annum in the UK since the global financial crisis - when other markets have seen their sales fall sharply - the Annual Champagne Tasting in London has delivered enormous media coverage and benefits on an increasingly global scale.

"This cannot simply be replaced by fragmented activity within the UK market. All of the areas identified by the Comité Champagne for focus - social media, digital activity and education - can best be launched and amplified from the existing platform of the tasting, which is a unique and wonderful day for Champagne in the world's best city."

In an email sent to its members, Peretti did not rule out future tastings, but said that none were likely to take place before 2018.

"The Comité Champagne has been reviewing the annual tastings around the world and that it was decided to pause the activity in the UK for the time being.

"The event, which has been running since 1994, has been very successful, but we all feel it is time to fully review it. Should the Comité Champagne decide to maintain the event, it is unlikely that it would take place before 2018," she said.

The London Annual Champagne Tasting is the major event run by the London branch of the Comité Champagne in the UK.

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