Business Chicks latte DecJan Page 14

business chicks latte magazine

the hard question

champagne

hampagne has long been entwined with
every momentous occasion and it is man-
datory at births, weddings, birthdays, or

the heralding of the New Year. For quite some

time many people who appreciate the finer

things in life and understand the diversity of

champagne have been enjoying it as their pre-

ferred investment vehicle.

Champagne Gallery's [www.champagnegal-

lery.com.au] conservateur de champagne and
national professional winner of the prestig-

ious Vin de Champagne award, David Donald,
believes champagne has a lot to offer as an
investment wine. "Perhaps because it's so

closely associated with celebration it doesn't
always gain the same respect as the great
wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux or elsewhere,"

Donald said.

"I think for this reason it is often over-

looked as a collectable or investment wine
when in fact there is so much on offer."

Donald said if people focussed on

collecting for drinking investment they
would always be rewarded. "Stock up on your
favourite houses but don't overlook some of
the smaller producers. They are often sold
far beneath their inherent worth, simply
because of being lesser known," he said.

"Prestige Cuvees like Dom Perignon, Krug,
Cristal and Salon will always increase in
value, particularly for great vintages such as
1990 and 1996.

"The release of the 1996 Krug ear-

lier this year, had an enormous amount of
expectation. It was legendary even before

its release, and is considered one of the

greatest champagnes of the century. On release it
was $450 but due to scarcity and demand, some
retailers are now selling it for as much as $900
per bottle."

Australia has always been one of Champagne's

most important markets with one of the high-
est per capita consumption rates in the world.
"With the plethora of champagnes available, the
multiplicity of styles, producers and varieties,
champagne gallery is uniquely placed to educate
Australian champagne lovers," Donald said.

"The market has very much opened, with more

producers than ever before coming into Australia,
and the choice continually growing. With over
100 houses and thousands of smaller grower/pro-
ducers there is a wide range of styles and tastes
available to potential investors. "Prestige Cuvees
are the pinnacle of a house's production, however
in comparison to the prices for top Bordeaux and
Burgundy, they are still greatly undervalued.

"The challenge is finding what your personal

preference is and learning about the others, as
there is so much to be discovered and experi-
enced," he said.

"Like any investment be it property, shares or

wine, it's important you understand what you are
buying and why, the current storing conditions
and get it at a price you think is reasonable," he
cautioned.

With demand showing no sign of slowing down

it appears champagne will continue to be syn-
onymous with elegance, celebration, style and
refinement and perhaps even investment.

"Every good cellar should have a healthy dose of

champagne on hand; the trouble is that it will always
be the hardest to leave alone," Donald adds.

If you're looking for an investment of a different kind why

not look at investing in the global brand of champagne.

for pleasure and profit