Carbon Champagne?

[Paul Anderson]

I was watching the latter stages of the F1 Japanese Grand Prix today and noticed that the podium is now sponsored by Carbon Champagne. Who are they? Where are they based? I've never heard of them but their cuvees seem to be very expensive (£250+ a bottle). Anyone tasted any of their offerings? The cynic in me suggests there is a lot of style over substance, which is not unusual in Champagne

 

[Steve Slatcher]

They have an uninformative website that is full of bullshit, and their address is on the outskirts of Rheims, close to out-of-town shops and car dealerships.

It all sounds so promising.

 

[Paul Anderson]

Yes - their website did smack of style over substance with no real information. Especially nothing specific about their vineyards, if they even have any.

 

[Uillaim Tait]

A bit of sleuth work seems to suggest it is an offshoot of Devavry.

 

[Graeme Harvie]

Wonder if we we will ever see an English Sparkling being drunk on the podium?

 

[Ian Black]

Wonder if we we will ever see an English Sparkling being drunk on the podium?

It doesn't get drunk much though, does it? A quick swig from the neck of the bottle- the rest being sprayed around.

From the MotorSport website -

F1 signs deal with $3000-per-bottle Carbon champagne brand

...It is known for its unique bottles, which are dressed in a thin layer of real carbonfibre – which helps to explain the high price of the product
...Sources have suggested that FOM is planning to undertake tests with cameras fitted to the podium bottles in order to provide a novel angle for TV viewers.
​

*sigh*

I honestly have no objection to people with more money than sense being parted from their readies by these bling brands. What does concern me is that there are now increasing numbers of them. I would have thought that the more of these there are, the less interest there will be in champagne as a "food wine", ultimately.

On the English Wines being drunk on the podium aspect, I think several English sparkling producers do support various sporting events such as offshore powerboat racing, so I imagine their bottles are indeed on the podium at these events.

 

[Tom Cannavan]

The streets of Reims have a strong link to motoring history. For 14 seasons until 1966, the Reims-Gueux circuit, a road race track just like Le Mans, was home to the French Grand Prix. Stirling Moss and Graham Hill were amongst the Reims-Gueux winners, and though the site of a winning driver spraying Champagne to celebrate victory might seem wasteful, the tradition started here.

 

[Gareth J Welch]

How carbon neutral is carbon fibre - just wondering?

 

[Steve Slatcher]

...It is known for its unique bottles, which are dressed in a thin layer of real carbonfibre – which helps to explain the high price of the product.

Carbon fibre is so last-century. I expect nothing less than graphene on my Champagne bottles

 

[Phil David]

There's so much added value to be had by turning ordinary Champagne into premium brands that I think we can expect to see more of this.

 

[Gareth Germain]

There's so much added value to be had by turning ordinary Champagne into premium brands that I think we can expect to see more of this.

There certainly is. The raw capitalist in me wants to scoop up a barrel of English sparkling and release it as a super limited cuvée at £500 per bottle. Throw in lots of glitz and glamour, some wow quotes from a dodgy wine critic or two, a tie-in with Fortnum's or Selfridge's for Christmas and I think you'd easily sell one thousand before anyone noticed it was utter shite (if they ever did). Perhaps repeat the next year and then disappear only to pop up as a slight rebrand. I mean it doesn't have to be crap but I'm no wine maker but I do know about luxury branding

 

[Paul Anderson]

I honestly have no objection to people with more money than sense being parted from their readies by these bling brands.

I wish there were many more bling brands on the market as it keeps the easily impressed away from the good stuff at a price they would be too embarrassed to pay.

 

[Ian Black]

The streets of Reims have a strong link to motoring history. For 14 seasons until 1966, the Reims-Gueux circuit, a road race track just like Le Mans, was home to the French Grand Prix. Stirling Moss and Graham Hill were amongst the Reims-Gueux winners, and though the site of a winning driver spraying Champagne to celebrate victory might seem wasteful, the tradition started here.

You can still drive the original course of the Gueux circuit (it being on D roads) though some of the later modifications are no longer there I believe - I've never tried it though may do next time I'm in that area, just out of interest! But the spraying thing started at Le Mans, surely?

 

[Tom Cannavan]

But the spraying thing started at Le Mans, surely?

Dunno: I heard Reims.

 

[Richard_Brooks]

I’m generally delighted when someone invents something new for the very rich to buy. It’s when they start buying things that other people like (such as Burgundy) or need (like housing) that it becomes a problem.

 

[Po-yu Sung]

I thought it's a new scientific term....

 

[Steven Pritchard]

Well the accepted history is that American Dan Gurney did it for the first time at Le Mans in '67 (copying Jo Siffert after the '66 race, who left his Champagne in the sun for too long and inadvertently soaked the crowd).

Having said that, I have it on good authority that Tom is indeed correct and that it happened at the Gueux circuit earlier (as early as the 1950s).

So perhaps you're both correct!

 

[Tom Cannavan]

I have it on good authority

I hope you don't mean me

 

[Steven Pritchard]

I hope you don't mean me

 

[Peter May]

[QUOTE="Ian Black, post: 131253, member: 188"
On the English Wines being drunk on the podium aspect, I think several English sparkling producers do support various sporting events such as offshore powerboat racing, so I imagine their bottles are indeed on the podium at these events.[/QUOTE]

Chapel Down sponsored the Boat Race and their fizz was on the podium and commemorative labelled bottles in the shops.

 

[Paul Anderson]

I’m generally delighted when someone invents something new for the very rich to buy. It’s when they start buying things that other people like (such as Burgundy) or need (like housing) that it becomes a problem.

Surely Burgundy is one of life's necessities?

 

[Tom Mann]

You can still drive the original course of the Gueux circuit (it being on D roads) though some of the later modifications are no longer there I believe - I've never tried it though may do next time I'm in that area, just out of interest! But the spraying thing started at Le Mans, surely?

They do a historical event on the circuit I believe - the pit buildings were still largely there a couple of years ago when I went to check it out - my father ran cars there in 1965 for the World Sportscar Championship.