I've mentioned the worries about a
Champagne shortage before; the growing appetite for the sparkling wine in the newly spendy countries of India, Russia and China is draining cellars worldwide. Now producers of the French bubbly are getting proactive about increasing supply. Since they have reached a point of maximum yield, Champagne producers have
nominated 40 villages in north-eastern France that may be allowed to produce the sparkling wine. Producers have turned to geologists and historians to analyze both climate and soil as well as historical links to wine growing to determine which villages should receive the honor. The national appellation institute, Inao, will now assess the shortlist but this won't alleviate any current problems. The first new vineyards probably won't be planted until 2015, with a first harvest in 2017. For the Champagne producers its an important move, they've been notoriously protective of the power of their brand and the exclusivity behind the fact that only sparkling wine grown in the Champagne region can bear the name.
