Areni Analysis: Is Premium Sparkling Just Another Fine Wine?

From celebration to cellar.

In 2021, Champagne finally established itself as an investment grade wine, as sales on the secondary market surged. According to Liv-ex, the London-based fine wine exchange, Champagne trading rose to record heights, with the Champagne 50 index up 40% on the year before.

Does this mean that sparkling wine in general, or Champagne in particular, has entered the fine wine category?

That sparkling wine can be an artisanal product is not in doubt: at its best, it is crafted from exceptional base wines that are blended together by exceptional winemakers. But it’s also a category whose reputation has as much to do with branding and marketing as the craftmanship and historic reputation that sets fine wine apart from other types of wine. How does this complicate the issue?

In October 2021, ARENI invited some of the world’s experts to a series of round tables to debate the question. The group included Champagne producers, notable sparkling wine producers from elsewhere in both the Old and New Worlds, marketers, collectors and top wine critics, among others. The round tables were conducted under the Chatham House Rule, where participants are free to use the information, but remarks cannot be attributed.

What came out of those discussions was both fascinating and, on occasions, completely unexpected.

ARENI roundtables are half-day sessions focusing on exploring a specific topic relevant to the future of Fine Wine. Led by experienced moderators, they bring together a group of curated fine wine professionals to challenge, inspire and learn from each other on key, practical issues.

To access our next series of roundtables, become a member today.