Making More Bubbly

Just recently the French decided to increase the size of the Champagne region (Matt has posted about this before), and the NY Times written a great piece about it complete with interactive maps and more.

Mr. Petit and the roughly 200 inhabitants of Magneux are part of an eager group of outsiders pressing to join the elite growers of the $7 billion Champagne industry.

A nearly eight-decade-old rule that delineates the official Champagne zone is about to be changed to include new territory, potentially allowing farmers like Mr. Petit to sell grapes for Champagne with the French seal of approval, the “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée,” or A.O.C.

What I love about this news is that it takes struggling farmers and makes them almost wealthy overnight. It's the sort of rags to riches story you almost never see in France, mostly because everything is so regulated and things don't change very often. As the article explains it won't mean a decrease in Champagne prices, especially in the US. Turns out China's new middle and upper middle class is gobbling up Champagne and probably Bordeaux too.
Click here for the article.