According to data from Union Des Maisons de Champagne, Singapore imported 1.5 million bottles of champagne in 2024. In comparison, Japan sipped 12.45 million bottles while Australia chugged 30 million. Yet the tiny city state is “one of the most informed and technically curious champagne audiences in the world”, said Lucy Edwards, founder of Champagne Every Day, who will be showcasing several labels at Champagniac.
“You can find end consumers (not industry professionals) who can taste five different disgorgements of the same wine and pinpoint differences in plot selection, grape variety and dosage, and they’re not doing it for status. They’re doing it because they care deeply about what’s in the glass. The level of palate sophistication, intellectual engagement, and thirst for exploration is extraordinary.”
This in turn fuels the confidence of distributors to take a chance even with unfamiliar champagne labels. Edwards shared: “In many countries, about 85 to 90 per cent of champagne consumed is non‑vintage. In Singapore, by contrast, you see a far broader spread over different categories: extra brut, vintage, rose, prestige, etc.
“First, they buy non-vintages from the big houses. Then they explore rose, vintage, single village and vineyard cuvees and eventually move into grower territory. The interesting thing is that all levels of this progression are thriving simultaneously. That’s a sign of market health. Most countries are stuck at step one, Singapore is already on step four, and climbing.”
She believes that festivals like Champagniac and Uncorked provide an important platform for adventurous drinkers to explore and grow the market. She said: “They don’t just grow sales; they grow understanding and understanding is what drives loyalty. Not just to a brand, but to the whole region of champagne.”
Source: CNA
