Good news for champagne drinkers

Non-vintage champagne based on the 2009 harvest should be particularly good, even though we may have to wait longer than usual for them.  Tough market conditions are also delaying the release of the 2002 vintage champagnes, to their benefit.

Following near-perfect weather conditions for the 2009 harvest in Champagne, the quality of the crop is generally seen as good enough to make the top-range wines from vintage to prestige cuvée. However, with sales of the more expensive lines currently very sluggish, and stocks at an all-time high, some producers will actually make very little...