STORY:
Champagne Fever Overcoming Britain

Millennium fever has helped boost champagne exports to Britain, the world's biggest market for French bubbly, to a new high, but there seems to be no need for consumer panic in the runup to New Year's Eve -- supplies are ample.

According to Reuters story which sites industry sources, Britain imported 24.25 million bottles last year, an increase of almost nine percent on 1997.

The sales graph for champagne has slowed since the previous annual rise of 11.8 percent and the industry concedes that British consumers may be concerned about a possible economic slowdown.

Each year, 320 million bottles of champagne are available for consumption worldwide. The industry believes that in the millennium buildup vintage champagne is extremely scarce.

According to the report, the United Kingdom is the only country gripped by millennium fever and people are buying.

Source: Reuters / CNN

DATE: 3/25/99

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