European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Bubble bursts for by Scott Kraft los Angeles times driving past his Vineyard of ripening Champagne grapes recently Pierre Cheval brought his pid Volkswagen to an abrupt halt and raced into the Field near a France. Quot wonderful a he exclaimed cradling a heavy Bunch of deep purple pinot noir grapes in his hands. Quot i be never seen it like this before. Never a. A Quot but of course a he added wistfully Quot it s a  indeed Champagne faces one of the deepest crises in its 300-year history. Demand for the world s most famous wine which peaked at record Levels four years ago has plummeted. And for the first time in memory overproduction has left the tiny Champagne Region of France choking on its own bubbles. In the vast underground caves of Pernay and reims the famous Champagne houses of France have stockpiled nearly 1 billion  the _ Bubble enough to meet world demand for the next four years. And the stocks Are swelling even More As the annual vendange or Harvest goes on in Cool vineyards where the crop never looked bigger or better a and no one is celebrating. Some of the larger houses including Moet amp Chandon which produces half the French Champagne consumed in the United states have shed workers with Early retirement packages a the Industry s largest such labor reductions in modern history. And some smaller producers desperate for Cash Are dumping lower Quality Champagne on the Market at bargain prices. Quot Champagne has known other crises but this is probably the most serious because it s lasting so Long a said fran Oise Marguel a wine analyst for revue Dinicole internationale an Independent Trade newsletter in Paris. Quot for the last decade Champagne makers were euphoric with High prices and demand Quot she added. Quot they did t prepare for this profound slump and now it has unsettled the entire Champagne  in recent months Champagne growers and producers have taken unprecedented measures to protect both their Industry and the lofty image of their world renowned product. Growers and producers recently agreed to bottle Only two thirds of this year s Harvest As Champagne saving much of the rest in giant vats for better Days. And Farmers reluctantly agreed to sell their grapes still the most expensive in the world for about $2 a Pound the lowest Price in two decades. Some of the most important Champagne makers a who were paying $3 a Pound for grapes Back in 1989 and still could t make enough wine to quench the world s thirst a have slashed retail prices to a break even of a or $12 a bottle. And they be even entered into quiet agreements with major restaurants in Paris to lower lofty menu prices of Champagne in Hopes of enticing diners away from More reasonably priced wines. The French already consume More than half the Champagne in their country a More than five bottles a year per adult. Quot the sad fact is Pur grapes Are Sas Johne owner lower prices May encourage diners to have Champagne with meals. Produced by Mother nature a without regard for the needs of the Public a said Andry Enders head of the chief Champagne regulatory body the Comite inter professional do Vins de Champagne. The drop in Champagne s fortunes though has been greeted with Little panic in the bucolic rolling Hills of the Region in northeastern France from which the wine takes its name. The 30,000 people in 300 Small villages who earn their living in the Industry Are Tough stoic people for the most part they and their ancestors have endured repeated invasions by foreign armies Over the centuries. And like Farmers everywhere they Are accustomed to Battles both with nature and the marketplace. But Eyer since the Monk Dom Prignon As the Story goes invented Champagne near Here in the Hillside Abbey of Hau Villiers this Region which covers less than 2 percent of France s territory has cherished its special role in the world s festive occasions. Quot Champagne will always know periods of crisis a said Philippe Des roys Duroure spokesman for Moet amp Chandon which has been in business for 250 years. Quot but it s not the Champagne itself that s the problem. And we must always be careful to protect our  in fact that resolve has driven Farmers who grow the grapes and bottlers who buy them into an uneasy truce. Their relationship had reached a Low Point in 1989, when demand was High and Farmers revolted against Low fixed prices for grapes. Today the Farmers Are free to make their own deals with the Champagne houses. But the Price recommended by the annual meeting of growers and Champagne makers is usually followed. And the one thing that they both agree on now is the need to maintain standards. Quot people Here Are resigned a said Cheval who represented growers in his Region in the annual bargaining. Quot but we believe we have touched Bottom and things can Only get better. And we re taking advantage of the fact that there Are so Many grapes to make a better Quality  last Chance Sale on the at-40b speaker when these Are gone there will be no More at40b�?Tst a first come first served at. Appropriately it stands for advanced technology. At 40b speakers accurately reproduce the expanded Range of your compact disc. . Suggested retail 310. 00 a. 149. 00 00aafes Sale Price your super savik0s $161  Over 50% available Gnu fat select cafes audio departments also for Saie the sat-6sw add on sub Woofer enhance your system Bass performance. Perfect for mini Midi and bookshelf speakers november 11, 1993 stripes Magazine / 7