10 reasons to drink Champagne during the pandemic

Don’t have much to celebrate this year? That’s no reason to eschew Champagne, which is better than ever, whatever the style, and we bring you 10 excuses to pop the cork in the middle of a pandemic.

At a time when Champagne consumption has suffered a major setback because of the pandemic, it seems only right to step back from considering the sales trends and focus on what this region does well. In any case, every time one thinks there’s a clear picture of Champagne’s fortunes, there’s another turn in Government coronavirus policies, and, with every new restriction, another blow is struck to the appellation that is the source of the ultimate celebratory drink. In 2020, this product, being so closely tied to national sentiment, has had a rollercoaster year, with, at times, almost no demand, then at others – notably during the relative freedom of a post-lockdown summer – an impressive uptick in consumption, highlighting the resilience of this great sparkling wine.

Meanwhile, our annual major db Champagne tasting – The Champagne Masters – was conducted later than usual due to the pandemic, but nonetheless run with the usual high calibre of….