Champagne is a fixture of the high life in Britain, from the preferred brand - Bollinger - of fictional superspy James Bond to certain makers' coveted status as suppliers to the Queen and royal family. In fact, the island nation mops up between 25 and 30 million bottles of the French fizz every year. Each year around one-third of Bollinger's revenues -- or 1.5 million euros ($1.8 million, 1.4 million) -- flow from Britain. A supplier beloved enough of Britain's royal family to be considered its "unofficial partner", the champagne house feared a "catastrophe" if new trade barriers appeared. Nevertheless, "wines from Champagne have captured the hearts of the English for three centuries," said Maxime Toubart, president of the region's wine growers' union.

Source: News 24 December 27, 2020 09:31 UTC