Recently in champagne Category

You might think that the World Economics Forum in Davos would have plenty of things to keep them in sombre mood - such as an international recession and near collapse of the banking system - but news has reached us that some are still partying like it's 1999.

Dignitaries and political big-wigs have practically polished off the Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere hotel's annual supply of 1971 Chateau Petrus premier cru, which sells for $1,700 a bottle according to gm Ernst Wyrsch.

However it seems some attendees are more sensitive to the economic plight affecting the rest of us.

We hear reports of banks down-grading from Krug and Dom Perignon at receptions to Laurent Perrier or white wine. And luxury foods such as caviar have found themselves blacklisted for being too ostentatious and sending out the wrong corporate message. You think... 

Formula 1 is a glamorous circus with a British world champion in Lewis Hamilton and no shortage of razzmatazz and oversized Champagne bottles.

Certainly it's a fast paced, occasionally tedious, sort of do, so you'd expect catering for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone to be an exciting, no-time-to-catch-your breath, sort of affair.

And you'd be right. And then some, if caterer Aspire Hospitality's experiences are anything to go by.

Having won the deal to cater at the circuit in 2007, and another at Towcester race course last month, the relationship so far has been a rewarding one that has, naturally enough, involved a steep learning curve for the newly formed group, which consists of independent caterers.

While you might think that running the British Grand Prix at Silverstone each summer would naturally involve a week or so of preparation ahead of the race weekend itself, the truth is somewhat different.

In fact five-and-a-half weeks ahead of the grand prix in June this year the race engineers turned up to test tyres, smoke and listen to heavy metal (one presumes), in one of those heart-stopping moments that all caterers face at some point in their career.

It seems Raffles the gentleman thief may be on the prowl again if a break-in at top-end caterer Vacherin is anything to go by.

The directors, back from their trip to Champagne and after the long bank holiday weekend, returned to their Bedford Row offices in London to find them ransacked.

Although entry (a kicked down door) wasn't very elegant that's probably simply the fact that Vacherin's office doesn't have a tempting skylight to lower one's self through.

The Caterer Adopted Business's computers were untouched and although some cash was taken ("for expenses and sundries") it seemed at first that an old laptop and a projector were the only other casualties.

However, on closer inspection the true nature of the crime became apparent.

Pol Roger is one of the few remaining family-owned champagne houses in France.

Although not as large and therefore well known a producer as the likes of Moet & Chandon or Veuve Clicquot (who have between them almost half the market), the house, which was founded in 1849, is highly regarded within the wine trade.

Suitably bespoke city caterer Vacherin called in recently at Pol Roger's Epernay base, which is situated in a splendid manor house, with a mix of directors, managers and clients on an educational trip organised via Laytons wine merchants.

Pol Roger's Hubert de Billy, director of sales and marketing for France, was on hand to give an extremely entertaining tour of the adjacent production facility and cellars.

It seems with demand for the fizzy stuff being fuelled by emerging markets such as China and India, Champagne is already struggling to meet this unquenchable global demand and finding enough grapes for production is much more difficult than finding customers.