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Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Friday, 14 August 2026

Adults-only Fiji resort offers holiday deal



Fancy a tropical pre- or post-Christmas escape?

If you are looking for a good deal on a luxury retreat, then one of Fiji's top adults-only resorts might be able to tempt you.

Stay five nights at Lomani Island Resort & Spa in Fiji's Mamanuca Islands and pay for four, saving 20% on your accommodation.

The offer includes daily breakfast, an outer-reef snorkelling trip, a dolphin safari, hand-line fishing, a village tour and kava tasting. Guests also receive free wifi, bottled water, evening turndown service and a Lomani beach bag.

The offer is valid for stays from November 1 to December 20, 2026, and January 4 to March 31, 2027. 

It costs from FJ$5440 ($3485) for five nights. But you'll need to book by August 31 using code LIR0726.

See www.lomaniisland.com

Thursday, 7 August 2025

Fancy a Christmas trip to visit Santa Claus?



Budget airline Ryanair is promoting winter trips to Lapland as part of its winter schedule for travellers wanting to visit the home of Santa Claus.

Ryanair has unveiled its winter 2025-26 Lapland-Rovaniemi schedule with return flights across three new routes: Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester.

Lapland is the largest and northernmost region of Finland and is known for its cold temperatures. 

It is promoted as "a winter wonderland" with tourism offerings including reindeer and huskie sleigh rides through snow-covered forests.

The Arctic Circle crosses Lapland, so polar phenomena such as the midnight sun can be viewed in the region. 

Rovaniemi has staked a claim as Santa's "official hometown" and developed the Santa Claus Village to encourage tourism.



“Christmas has come early for our UK customers with the launch of the Lapland schedule across three new routes, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester,” Ryanair’s director of communications Jade Kirwan said.

“It’s never too early to start Christmas planning.”

Rovaniemi is the main regional centre of Lapland, and the Rovaniemi Airport is the second busiest airport in Finland.

The clean air here is “unbelievable” says a GOTR regular who has visited multiple times. 

The winter Lapland-Rovaniemi flights are available to book now at ryanair.com.

Images: Visit Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Village

Sunday, 22 December 2024

Professor Star’s words of Christmas wisdom



When you have a name like Professor Star, people are compelled to pay attention.

With obesity surpassing tobacco as the leading risk factor for disease during 2024, Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) new Head of Nutrition and Dietetics is encouraging Australians to balance the joys of food and drink this silly season.

“I am big on the joy of sharing food, it’s such an important part of the Christmas season – but readers beware – is it really joyful when you’ve put on weight and injured your health with too much booze over the holidays?” Associate Professor Anita Star said.

Released this month, the Australian Burden of Disease Study reported Australians lost an estimated 5.8 million years of healthy life due to living with disease and dying prematurely in 2024.

Of the total disease burden, obesity or overweight health issues accounted for 8.3% surpassing the ills of tobacco use (excluding vaping) at 7.6%.

Listing pacing yourself, having a small amount of food you really love and making time to move your body as helpful ways manage intake over the next few weeks, Associate Professor Star also shared her rule of Joyful Five.

“I would encourage everyone to think of five other joyful activities to help them maintain balance and rejuvenate for the New Year,” Associate Professor Star said.

“On my to-do-list is go for a bushwalk with friends, read a book, complete a painting, spend lots of time in the pool with family, and plant some plants on my balcony.”

In a first for the Northern Territory, CDU will offer a Bachelor of Nutrition from next year, with the University also celebrating its first Master of Dietetics graduates in 2024.

“CDUs Bachelor of Nutrition is an important next step for attracting more local students to train to become Nutritionists, and if they wish, to go on to the clinical dietetics training in the Master of Dietetics,” Associate Professor Star explained.

“With the rates of obesity and chronic disease as high as they are, we need more Nutritionists and Dietitians in the Territory, and having local people means they are more likely to stay for the longer term.”

Friday, 13 December 2024

Your last-minute festive gift guide for gourmets and drinkers

Got friends who love their food and drink? Here are some last-minute festive gift ideas put together by the GOTR team.

Wine lovers will enjoy experimenting with new high-tech glasses from Melbourne-based Denver & Liely that retail for $200 each.

The hand-blown crystal glasses went through eight years of R&D before being released last month and are designed to aerate the wine in a similar fashion to decanting.

The glasses are beautiful-looking and certainly help soften out the tannins in big, young reds.

Designer Denver Cramer found inspiration for the shape in commercial jet engines, with a multi-directional turbine ‘hub’, designed to rapidly aerate the wine.

The universal design suits pinot noir and chardonnay best, but also works with red blends.

Hand-blown and hand polished, the glasses are fun and impressive. See https://denverandliely.com/

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As soon as the GoTR team saw the AdHoc PEPE Chili Cutter they wanted one.

Specially designed to cut dried chilis, the stainless steel and acrylic design makes for a beautiful addition to kitchens with its eye-catching design.

AdHoc was named as best kitchen brand of the year for 2024-2025 in the PLUS X awards and this looks the goods; combining design and functionality.

German-designed AdHoc products are well thought out with their straightforward elegance. 

This costs $39.95 and is perfect for when you want to add just the right amount of chilli to your past or pizza.  See https://sheldonandhammond.com.au

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Vodka is the perfect summer tipple. It can be enjoyed with just about any mixer and loves to get up close and personal with ice cubes.

STOLI Premium Vodka is a smooth and iconic spirit that's perfect for festive cocktails. Distilled three times from top-quality grain and filtered through birch charcoal and quartz sands, it's blended with pure artesian well water for a clean, crisp taste.

Whether it's mixed into a classic martini or enjoyed over ice, STOLI is a long-time favourite and very stylish.

STOLI Premium Vodka is available via Dan Murphy’s, alongside other flavours such as Cucumber, Vanilla and Salted Karamel. $58.99.

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Travellers and beer lovers will enjoy the new edition of the coffee table book Australia’s Historic Pubs.

It tells the stories behind 52 of the most loved heritage pubs across Australia. Illustrated with lovely colour images, it reveals their varied histories and also uncovers many colourful characters through the centuries.

Readers can discover how immigrants carved out their destinies amidst the greed and ambition of the gold rushes, while convicts carved the building blocks.

From the bustling streets of Hobart to the serene banks of the Swan and Brisbane Rivers, this book takes you on a journey to visit some of the most venerable watering holes in Australia.

Australia's Historic Pubs  costs $49.99 and is available at good book shops, or through
http://woodslanepress.com.au.

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Henschke is one of Australia’s most revered family wine producers and has released a range of special gift packs.

Check out the Plumm Glassware Gift Packs: special edition offerings that contain two Henschke-branded Plumm crystal wine glasses and a bottle of wine. 

Each glass is machine blown from 100% lead-free European crystal, using the pulled stem method for increased durability. Each pack contains the two glasses and a Henschke wine of your choice. 

The glasses cost $55 a pair and the cost of your chosen wine will be added at checkout. See https://www.henschke.com.au/products/plumm-glassware-gift-pack-choose-your-own-wine.

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Angel's Envy  a super-premium Kentucky Straight Bourbon, has just landed in Australia, and at under $100, it is an ideal treat for whiskey enthusiast dads.  

Angel's Envy was founded in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2011 by industry icon and Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson and his son Wes Henderson.

Unlike other bourbons, Angel’s Envy undergoes an additional maturation process, with its Kentucky Straight bourbon finished in port wine barrels to adds an additional layer of complexity and flavour. 

Angel's Envy costs $99.99 and is available at independent retailers nationwide.

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Got a thirsty friend who enjoys trying different beers? The Casella family, the people behind [yellow tail] wines, also have their own brewery in the small town of Yenda In the Riverina.

Their range includes very quaffable Yenda Pale Ale ($17 for a six pack) and the light, clear Yenda Session Lager available in 330ml six-pack bottles (RRP $7.50).

Out of the same brewery is the laid-back, easy drinking Poets Lager ($16 for a six-pack). Available at Cellarbrations, Bottle-O, IGA Liquor and Porters.

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Mason Cash has been producing mixing bowls for centuries but recently released the new Home to Roost range, featuring beautifully delicate embossments and a cheery colours.

The Home to Roost range includes mixing bowls in three sizes, the batter bowl, prep bowls, storage jars and a utensil pot.

Made from earthenware, the bowls are light enough to hold in one arm while mixing, but sturdy enough when using on the countertop.

This is the Mother Hen nest bowl ($110) from https://masoncash.com.au/products/collections/home-to-roost/.

Top Image: Aleksei Popoc, Scop.io   

Friday, 6 December 2024

Hot new Sydney precinct gets a little bit festive


Sydney Place, tucked behind Sydney's vibrant Circular Quay quarter, is offering a range of pre-Christmas drawcards. 

With a mix of activities for workers, visitors and families until December 20, the precinct is hosting prize giveaways, roving entertainers and festive-themed fun.

Sydney Place has three new, intimate city laneways with a diverse mix of day and late-night attractions. 

The area sits by the 55-storey Salesforce Tower - the city’s tallest office building. 

Ah Toy Lane, Sai Ying Lane and Underwood Street ware home to 23 eating and drinking destinations including Jacksons on George, Joel Best’s Bar Besuto - a Japanese Omakase restaurant and whisky bar - and Lode Pies & Pastries, by Sydney chef Federico Zanellato. 

Live roving entertainment throughout the precinct pre-Christmas includes The Shoppers, a troupe of retro juggling performers, and The Gagliardies (above), a group of circus performers, along with gingerbread men on stilts. Spot them 11:30am-1:30pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 

Santa’s Mailbox, meanwhile, is a festive installation inviting visitors to write and deposit their ‘naughty or nice’ lists into Santa’s Mailbox. A QR code on the box offers entry into a giveaway for a series of  prizes.

Shoppers who spend $10 or more at Sydney Place can head over to the festive pop-up Prize Wheel with a chance to win prizes including free drinks lunchtime Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until December 20. 

Wednesday, 21 December 2022

Christmas just got even more materialistic



Christmas is supposed to be a time for caring and sharing but for a whole lot of people - particularly in the UK and US -it is all about the cash.

With the cost of living crisis affecting many, the people at MoneyTransfers.com ​did a survey of the most-wanted gifts this Christmas in several different countries.

The key message: Forget your thoughtful presents. Give me money. 

Major findings included:

# 44% of UK and 40% of US respondents reported wanting money as a gift this Christmas.

# Over a third of Polish respondents wanted money or gift vouchers and over two-fifths of Germans said the same.

# The most desired gifts in Italy at 44% are clothing, shoes and accessories.

#Cosmetics, perfume and body care items were the most desired among UK women at 55%.

#33% of US respondents reported gaming consoles to be the hardest gift to find this year.

# Plants (42.4%), beauty items (40%) and liquor (34%) were found to be the least-desired gifts for Christmas this year.

"Clearly, there has been a shift this year from material possessions, with more people placing value on either the independence to buy what they want – or, a need for cash to hand in a world of rising costs across the board,” says Jonathan Merry, CEO of MoneyTransfers.com.

Australia was not among the nations surveyed. 
Here is the link to the full report should you wish to depress yourself: 



Saturday, 17 December 2022

Freeze your leftover cheese and wine at Christmas

Are you planning to freeze your leftover wine and cheese at Christmas?

That's just one of the ideas being floated by an English council aiming to avoid unnecessary food waste over the holiday period, the Eastern Daily Press reports.

Officials at Norfolk County Council are recommending that leftovers from bottles of wines are frozen into cubes, which can then be used in sauces and stews.

They also say that cheeses should be frozen and re-used when possible.

It is claimed that by following the advice people can also save money at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is hitting families.

Hard cheeses like parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella are great frozen, says the website dairy.com.au

"We recommend you grate them first, pop them in a ziplock or freezer bag and then use them straight from frozen in your cooking," the website says.

"We do not recommend freezing fresh cheeses like ricotta or soft cheeses like brie or blue cheese. Freezing will affect their structure and overall quality. However, if these cheeses are being used in dishes like lasagne or quiches and then the dish is frozen, this will be perfectly fine."

Martina Glason, waste reduction officer at Norfolk County Council, said: "The key to saving at Christmas is to have a plan."

Key tips include:

# Checking the allergies and dietary requirements of any visitors, to avoid wasting food and money by buying the wrong items.

# Plan carefully to avoid overbuying.

# Provide one major dessert, rather than a selection.

# Free up freezer space in the run-up to Christmas, by eating frozen meals in the days before, so there is plenty of room to freeze leftovers.

More tips on cutting food waste, recipes for leftovers and other ways to have a thrifty Christmas are available at https://www.foodsavvy.org.uk/christmas.

Image: Carlos Predo de Carvalho Pinto, Scopio.

Sunday, 11 December 2022

'Tis the season for travel industry strikes



Military personel will be deployed at major airports across Britain as members of Britain's Border Force plan for strikes over the Christmas holiday period.

The Ministry of Defence this week confirmed military have already been on site at London’s Heathrow (above) and Gatwick airports preparing to cover if the strikes go ahead.

Border Force officers are set to strike from December 23-26 and 28-31 at airports that also include Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham and Glasgow, industry newsletter Travel Mole reports.

The armed forces personnel have been training at the airports ahead of the planned strikes and many of them have had their leave cancelled.

Overall, around 600 personnel have been called up to help during the planned strikes.

The strikes would cause "serious disruption", British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has warned.

“I really want to urge people to think carefully about their plans because they may well be impacted,” she said.

“If [workers] go ahead with strikes there will be undeniable, serious disruption caused to many thousands.”

The planned strike - to be conducted by members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) union - will likely cause delays to security checks, resulting in lengthy queues and knock-on disruption, Euronews reported.


Monday, 5 December 2022

The Gourmet on the Road guide to great Christmas gifts

Whether you are after a nifty tech gadget, a delicious drink, something special or a sweet treat for under the tree, the Gourmet on the Road team has you covered.

Kobo Clara 2E e-reader

Avid readers can finish at least three or four books during a week away, which can mean extra luggage or lugging around a heavy laptop. This new-release e-reader is light as a feather and is billed as being perfect for eco-conscious readers who want to read on the go. Made from ocean-bound and recycled plastic it is waterproof and has heaps more storage and battery life than previous models and can carry up to 12,000 eBooks with 16GB of storage. It is claimed you can read for weeks on a single charge. You can also download library books. This is one I will keep on using every time I travel. $229. https://au.kobobooks.com/collections/ereaders/products/kobo-clara-2e 












Grey Goose Gift Pack

The French vodka brand Grey Goose is world famous, and Santa has a limited supply of special gift packs containing a 700ml bottle and a special steel spritz cooler that is designed to keep your vodka cocktails chilled even on the warmest of summer days. This premium vodka is made winter wheat from Picardy and spring water from Gensac in the Cognac region. Disturbingly delicious. Available at Dan Murphy’s and select independent stores. $70.












Victorinox Foldable Paring Knife

Looking for an ideal knife for shaving some ham off the bone, or cutting some cheese when on a picnic? This one comes up trumps. This Swiss Classic Foldable Paring Knife is a multipurpose tool that is ideal for anyone on the move. This "take-anywhere blade" has a wavy edge and is extremely versatile. It comes in six colourful handle options and has a reputation for endurance whether it hits the road with you or lives next to the fruit bowl. And it folds away to fit in your pocket when you are on the road. $39.95. https://victorinox.com.au/












Wild Nectar Honey

Wild Nectar are the biggest honey producer in Australia but have an artisan approach. Their honey is raw, cold extracted straight from the hive to the bottle, and they have a certified organic range. Wild Nectar keep their processing minimal, only straining it to simply strain it to remove wax and any hive or plant debris. Sourced from hives ranging from northern Victoria through northern NSW, and a delicious addition to many dinner recipes or drizzled onto some goat cheese. Choose from a squeeze bottle for $7.50 to a 450-gram jar for $8.50. https://wildnectarhoney.com.au/












Jabra Elite 7 Pro Ear Buds

A lot of noise-cancelling headphones are big and bulky and not ideal travelling companions. These Danish designed buds offer adjustable noise cancelling (ANC) ideal for use on planes or noisy environments, along with powerful sound and an ultra-compact design. There is eight hours of battery life for longer journeys, and they can be used with iPhone or Android devices. They look smart; and sound smarter.  The ANC allows wearers to cut out any outside noise while HearThrough means that the press of a button means you can hear outside noise without removing the earbuds. They retail for U$299, are rainproof and available in three colours. https://www.jabra.com.au/












Pommery 2005 Cuvée Louise Parcelles Champagne

This is a gift perfect for Champagne connoisseurs who would appreciate something old and rare. A new-release vintage Champagne closing in on two decades of age, this comes in a special gift box.  From an excellent year, this is a blend of grapes sourced from three Grand Cru regions: Ay, Avize and Cramant, and has excellent body as well as elegance on the palate. One for special occasions, or special friends. $380.












New Thermos Products

So, you know someone who loves camping, boating, or fishing, and needs to keep drinks cold in summer and warm in winter? Thermos has two new products that would make idea presents: the 350ml Thermos Vacuum Insulated Tumbler (34.95 from MatchBox, Myer, Lil Treasures) that keeps contents hot for up to nine hours and cold for up to 12 hours and has a leak-resistant travel cover seal; and the 770ml Vacuum Insulated Hydration Bottle ($59.99 from Officeworks, Myer) that boasts a hygienic screw-top lid and can keep water cool for up to 18 hours. Perfect for adventurous types. www.thermos.com.au 













Loving Earth Chocolate Bonbons

Here is the perfect mini treat for under the Christmas tree or to surprise a chocolate-loving friend. These plant-based taste treats (which happen to pair well with red wines). The non-dairy bonbons are chunky mylk chocolate balls available in three different flavours: dark chocolate Gianduja, mylk chocolate berry and dark chocolate orange, come in two different sizes, with a choice of four-piece bonbon packs or 10-piece packs available. They tick all the hipster boxes: vegan-friendly, gluten free, certified organic, kosher and made from minimally processed ingredients. From $9.95. https://lovingearth.net.




Coravin Gemstone Collection

Leading global wine preservation company Coravin has just launched its new Gemstone Collection, the perfect present for any wine lover who wants to keep a special bottle fresh for more than a couple of days after opening. Available in three jewel-toned colours (Anthracite, Dark Amethyst, and Deep Emerald) it is a luxury item – and looks the part. Part of Coravin’s Timeless Six+ wine by the glass line, the new range lets wine lovers pour a glass from any bottle (even screw caps), anytime, while preserving the remaining wine for several months if required. This is far less fiddly than previous versions and looks better than ever. $699 – but look out for special offers. https://www.coravin.com.au  

 

Freixenet Minis

Sparkling winemakers Freixenet have launched two limited-edition Christmas bon bons that make an ideal gift. Wrapped in a gift box disguised as a Christmas cracker, each bon bon packet contains a 200ml piccolo-sized bottle of Freixenet Italian sparkling rosé and a 200ml Piccolo bottle of Freixenet Prosecco. Available exclusively through Dan Murphy’s and BWS for $13 each. www.danmurphys.com.au 







Scarborough Keepers of the Flame

Calling all wine lovers. Following in the footsteps of their parents Ian and Merralea Scarborough, the next generation of the Scarborough family has launched a new range called Keepers of the Flame, with a three-bottle pack of 2019, 2020 and 2021 Keepers of the Flame Chardonnay available as a trio of the 2019-2021 vintage releases, as well as being sold individually for $100 per bottle. www.scarboroughwine.com.au.












Levantine Hill Wine Adventures

Got an adventurous friend who would love a special experience for Christmas?  The Yarra Valley winery Levantine Hill has a “Perfection Winemaking Experience” from $1095 per person.  This fly-and-dine experience includes return helicopter transfer from the Melbourne CBD to Levantine Hill with a winery tour including an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the Levantine Hill winemaking process, underground barrel store, and grounds. A tutored tasting experience featuring the premium Family Paddock wines is then followed by an exclusive lunch experience at the restaurant and cellar door. https://www.levantinehill.com.au.






Lark Whisky

Lark is the distillery that started the Tasmanian whisky boom, and the Hobart company has a wide range of gifts to suit any budget. The range starts with the 100ml Christmas Cask gift pack that retails for $80. This single malt taster comes in a gift pack with a Lark-engraved Glencairn whisky glass and can be personalised with the name of the lucky recipient. From there the sky is the limit. https://larkdistillery.com/pages/christmas-gift-guide


# This story in an edited version of one that appears in Ciao Magazine. 

Monday, 27 December 2021

Goodbye Christmas; hello Easter: commercialism gone mad

 

It is probably not the season to be churlish. Many of us are still celebrating Christmas with family and friends. 

Yet odious marketers from the big supermarkets are already spruiking their wares for Easter. On December 27. 

A pox on them, I say. 

First off the blocks in blocks in the race to be the most crassly commercial were Coles, with a press release sent to media at 6.20am this morning about their Vegemite hot cross buns. 

Hot cross buns! 

When most of us still have Christmas and Christmas pudding left over.

But there is no hope of restraint from big business when there are big bucks to be made. 

Here is the Coles' bumpf from this morning. Make up your own minds about their greedy opportunism. 

"Coles’ award-winning hot cross buns are getting a mitey makeover this year with Coles launching a brand-new flavour combination in partnership with Bega Cheese Limited – the Vegemite Hot Cross Bun.

"Available in more than 700 Coles supermarkets nationwide from December 27 (that's today), the limited-edition combination of sweet and savoury is the latest in a series of flavour mash-ups from Coles, which has previously wowed customers with buns in Lamington, Raspberry and White Chocolate and Sticky Date and Butterscotch flavours.

"Best toasted and slathered with butter or grilled toasted sandwich style with lots of melty cheese, the soft buns are infused with Vegemite and parmesan and finished with an indulgent tasty cheese topping."


And on and on it drones with the memorably awful line: "Vegemite is one of those things that makes Australia wonderful." 


As flavour combinations go, I've heard of worse ideas. But it is December 27.


Could you not, at least, have waited until the new year? 

 

 

  

Saturday, 18 December 2021

Stay away: France closes to the door to Brits



Bad news for any British passport holders hoping to enjoy Christmas in France.

The door is shut from now on.

And it has nothing to do with Brexit, French officials insist.

France has imposed travel restrictions on travellers from Britain due to surging Covid-19 cases there as plans for Christmas celebrations have been thrown into disarray by the rapid spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant, which emerged in Hong Kong and southern Africa last month.

The French Government has said that only certain categories of travellers, including truck drivers, would be allowed between the two countries. Anyone arriving from Britain would have to self-isolate.

"Our goal is to limit as much as possible the spread of Omicron across our territory," French Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said. "Tourism and business travel for people who are not French nationals or Europeans, people who are not French residents, will be limited."

Officials at Dover said France's new travel curbs had dampened already significantly reduced tourist numbers.

Tourism industry body AITO has called for a rescue package for the sector as it said the French ban on travel will have a “devastating effect”.

Chris Rowles, the AITO chairman, told Travel Weekly the ban was an “extremely unwelcome pre-Christmas gift”.

“It is a simply devastating situation for the UK’s travel industry, destroying as it does both long-planned Christmas holidays and the many ski businesses which operate in French ski resorts,” he said.

“Pent-up demand from UK-based skiers unable to travel last winter has meant that bookings were at higher-than-normal levels this Christmas/New Year, to add insult to injury.

“Now operators are having to contact thousands of would-be skiers/other UK holidaymakers to explain that travel for holiday purposes, regardless of vaccination status, is not considered an ‘essential reason’ for travel by the French Government and is therefore banned with effect from this Saturday.”

Pointing out that French and EU nationals, and residents in France, are exempt from this rule, he added: “Unfortunately, this seems very much like a French ‘tit for tat’ Brexit-related rebuttal.

Image: Andreas Steidlinger (Scopio) 

Sunday, 31 October 2021

Crisis time in Champagne


Christmas is fast approaching and Champagne producers are in crisis as they try to meet the annual peak domestic demand.

At the time of a huge influx of orders for the festive season, the Champenoise are suffering from a shortage of crucial stock.

“We are short of everything: wire caps, neck labels, boxes, foil caps,” Maxime Toubart, chairman of the Champagne producers’ organisation (SGV) told French industry website Vitisphere.

“Winegrowers had no stocks left because they were afraid of what the future might hold; then they all stocked up at the same time, ” said Julien Lévêque, manager of label printing company Imprim'éclair, based in Épernay, which has 800 clients.

Christophe Mendez, managing director of the Sparflex group, the international leader in capsules which is based in Champagne and Hendaye, said that that demand has sky-rocketed since June-July.

“In two months, we have been overwhelmed by incoming orders, which represent the equivalent of five months of normal orders. With a surge this great, even with highly efficient equipment, you cannot absorb it.”

The crisis is largely a domestic one. Orders for Australia, the US and other overseas markets have already been shipped.