There are people who can still afford luxury-label champagne - good for them - but most of the world is feeling the squeeze. Champagne sales are down in all the top markets (France, Britain, America, Japan), and although they are still rising in Russia, India and China, the quantities in these new markets are tiny. So the Champenois are looking pinched for the first time in years.
Somehow, I doubt many of you will be feeling sorry for them. I imagine you care more about whether you can afford to drink champagne at all this Christmas. With £10, you will be able to buy a bottle from the big supermarkets, but I do not recommend this. It is likely to be thin, sharp and/or coarsely