Matthew Castle, Group Manager of Wine and Champagne at African + Eastern, has shed light on a sparkling movement sweeping across the UAE.
Despite its comparatively small population, the UAE emerged as the 16th largest champagne market globally in 2022. Traditionally, champagne consumption was centered around high-energy venues and weekend brunches. However, a new trend is bubbling up, with ‘grower’ or ‘artisan’ champagne labels becoming increasingly popular.
He said: “Champagne is an important part of our business here in the UAE and we punch well above our weight on the quality level per bottle sold here.
“Nightlife venues play a big role in where champagne is consumed here, yet is limited to a small handful of big-name luxury brands. However, we are now seeing a fundamental shift in demand in the champagne space locally.
“Our hotel, restaurant and retail clients are increasingly requesting new and small production grower or artisan champagne labels. This is great for us as a supplier as one of our strategic pillars is to propagate wine culture in the UAE and supply our clients best-in-class offerings. “
Artisan Champagnes, also known as Grower Champagnes, bear the mark ‘RM’ on their labels, signifying they are produced by the estate where the grapes are grown. This shift in preference represents a taste for champagnes that embody a sense of place and innovative production techniques.
Grower Champagnes that A+E offers include Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, Frederic Savart, Henri Giraud, Cédric Bouchard, Jerome Presvost, Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Nowack and Tarlant.
Castle also signaled his optimism about the evolution of champagne lists in Dubai, with top wine lists now boasting over 40 champagne labels. The goal? To rival champagne lists in renowned cities like Paris, London, and Tokyo.
He added: “The UAE is very much a multicultural environment and wine lists are generally thematic to a restaurant brand or engineered in a broad ‘international’ style.
“Combining the existing labels present in the market, plus the influx of new labels entering, I’m very positive about the improvement of champagne lists moving into the new year.”