Plymouth Champagne boss toasts first US export deal
Corks are popping for the UK’s specialist ‘Champagne Retailer of the Year’ once again after announcing its first export deal in the United States.
Sip Champagnes is now shipping to California, Florida, Illinois and Montana, with talks already underway to expand its range of grower champagnes in other parts of the US.
The first shipment from the Sip Champagnes range, includes Famille Delouvin; Louis Brochet; Alexis, Beaugrand; Didier Herbert; A. Levasseur; and Hélène Beaugrand.
Formed in 2021 by business partners, Daniel Blatchford and Peter Crawford, Sip Champagnes sources and supplies only the best small-batch, handcrafted champagne straight to consumers and the hospitality trade from France’s iconic wine region.
In less than three years, Sip Champagnes has quickly established itself as the UK’s leading online Grower Champagne retailer. The company now has its sights set on further global expansion, including the US, where the thirst for champagne is bigger than it has ever been.
The US is now the top export market for Champagne. Sales soared by 19.4% to $998m in 2022, with American wine lovers developing a taste for quality cuvées.
Boasting the UK’s largest collection of 60 Champagne producers and over 236 individual cuvées from across 25 villages in its range, Sip Champagnes only deals with ethically-sourced and artisan products direct from farmers.
The dominance of the big wine houses and supermarket champagne has meant that champagne options have been very limited in the UK and the US, until Sip Champagnes came along. The small producers previously had no supply chain and no access to high-end restaurants, bars, hotels and wine boutiques, which meant consumers had little choice.
Over the past year, Sip Champagnes has been working in partnership with Cage Imports to create the infrastructure needed to make its first shipment to the US this spring. The firm plans to continue working in partnership with Cage Imports to expand its range across the US in 2023 and beyond.
Daniel Blatchford from Plymouth is co-founder of Sip Champagnes and is one of the UK's leading Champagne experts. He said:
“It was always part of our plan to export to the United States. Grower Champagne is underrepresented worldwide and our ambition was to create a model that would be global. The US is a huge market, with a great wine trade established and a growing appetite for the most interesting, artisan products.
“The US market demands well-made, sustainably minded champagnes. The American consumer cares about how the grapes are farmed, how the land is treated, who makes the wine and what their story is. Of course, it also needs to be delicious, but that is not the only factor that determines the final consumer choice.”
Daniel added: “Brexit has complicated things for exporters in general. We had to create a French subsidiary as it was too difficult and costly to go via the UK, although this came with its own set of challenges.
“Similarly, across the channel, there are a new set of difficulties, namely state-by-state alcohol licensing laws. As such, we have chosen to partner with an established Champagne professional who shares our ethos but, crucially, has experience navigating the import and distribution network. This will make it far quicker and simpler to get our Champagne to market.”
Garth Hodgdon Founder of Cage Imports, said: "At Cage Imports, our goal is to bring what is current in Champagne to the consumers in the United States. Our partnership with Sip allows us to access their deep knowledge of the region and the relationships they have with producers to continue to import new and exciting champagne.
“Together, Sip and Cage have the ability to share the champagne growers with with the consumers who are passionate about what they are creating."
In September 2022, Sip Champagnes was awarded the prestigious accolade of ‘Champagne retailer of the year’ by the world’s leading wine media brand, Decanter, who singled out the newcomer for its “laser-like focus on cutting-edge wines from the region”, and in the words of one judge, “is changing the game for Champagne.” Sip Champagnes was also a runner up in the ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Judges Choice’ categories.
Sip Champagnes also won The Drinks Business 'Specialist Online Retailer of the Year Award' for 2022.
Alongside their online store, which sells individual bottles and curated cases, Sip Champagnes offers curated monthly subscription packages to help people enhance their understanding of the grower Champagne movement. Alongside truly exceptional bottles, there are tasting notes and even live tasting sessions with the farmers themselves.
All Sip Champagnes packaging is made from recycled material and is 100% recyclable. They also invest in carbon offsetting programmes to reduce their environmental impact and they plant a tree for every order placed.
For more information on Sip Champagnes, visit https://sipchampagnes.com
For more information on Cage Imports, visit www.cageimports.com
