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So when a region of the world 
becomes known for a specific type of food,

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they'll go to great lengths to protect it.

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I mean, let's look at Kobe beef.

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It can only be called that

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if it meets a very particular
set of requirements,

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including that the cow was born, fed, 
and slaughtered in a region of Japan

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that includes the city of Kobe.

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Quebec regulates who can sell maple syrup

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and the government even keeps
a strategic reserve.

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French champagne is from, you guessed it, 
the Champagne region of France

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and it's heavily regulated.

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But the pandemic is exposing 
the behind-the-scenes drama

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about how it's produced.

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DYING ON THE VINE

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You must hold it like this
and tap, all the way up.

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Okay.

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And I use the back of the knife.

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- Here, this part. OK.
- Yes, that part.

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Okay, merci.

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Oh, it's quite heavy.

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Okay.

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This is very difficult.

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Whoaaaaa!

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(Charlet) <i>There were many reasons 
to break out the champagne sabre in 2020.</i>

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Whooooo!

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<i>And that's bad news
for Charles Duval-Leroy and his family.</i>

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Merci.

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This is what we have today for 
Femme de Champagne: non-vintage.

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It is more of apéritif-style vintage.

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We stay in the frame 
of elegance and finesse.

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<i>Duval-Leroy has been in
this business for 150 years.</i>

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<i>They produce more than
2 million bottles annually</i>

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<i>for big clients like Delta Airlines</i>

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<i>and the Moulin Rouge.</i>

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<i>With Covid-19 keeping planes on the ground</i>
<i>and event spaces closed,</i>

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<i>sales have plummeted by almost 40%,</i>

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<i>and the champagne industry
has had to take drastic action.</i>

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This is an unusual year.

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We had a good harvest,

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but due to this COVID-19 crisis,

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we couldn't harvest all the grapes.

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As you can see, 
there are a lot of grapes left.

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It's a frustrating year for us.

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If I didn't the context,
it looks like sabotage.

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It's really something unprecedented.

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There are so many times
that we ask ourselves

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if there's a new wine-making method.

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No, it's just throwing the grapes
on the ground.

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It makes no sense.

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With the sales dropping 
throughout the year,

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how did the industry respond?

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The first step was to say,

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"Let's reduce quotas.

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If we reduce quotas, we reduce production.

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We won't inflate the stock
that hasn't been sold."

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It's a truly collective response
to lower production,

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which is why we have left grapes
on the vine today.

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It's a heartbreaking response,
but we know it's necessary

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for the long term in Champagne.

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(Charlet) <i>Champagne has spent decades
meticulously curating a global image</i>

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<i>as the way to mark special occasions.</i>

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<i>It's this type of deliberate management</i>

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<i>that led to cutting production
by 100 million bottles this year</i>

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<i>to prop up prices,</i>

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<i>but the decision left 
over 10,000 tons of grapes to waste away,</i>

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<i>and it didn't necessarily account for issues</i>

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<i>that were already threatening 
champagne's reign</i>

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<i>as a celebratory drink of choice.</i>

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Can you talk a little bit about 
the state of of the champagne industry

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before the pandemic hit?

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Because I remember there was already
talk of champagne

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having a little bit of an image crisis

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before COVID.

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Since 2008, champagne 
hasn't regained its sales

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simply because the final consumer,

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due to to economic issues,

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has shifted from champagne 
to other alcohols

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or other apéritif, of course.

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Champagne hasn't benefited yet
from Instagram.

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We see more and more that

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there is an audience that
needs to show itself

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with a big glass with lots of ice
and colors in it.

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A gin and tonic that's well prepared

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and looks beautiful.

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And champagne is very elegant,

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but it's served in a small glass
with not a lot in it.

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It's too discreet to take a selfie
or a photo with.

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"Look, I'm in a dreamy landscape."

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(Charlet) <i>But some smaller producers 
have a different take</i>

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<i>on the right response to the crisis.</i>

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The color is incredible,

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it looks like Roussanne [grapes].

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(Charlet) <i>While the big names 
in the industry</i>

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<i>sell millions of bottles each year,</i>

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<i>Alselme Selosse makes only about 50,000
and each one can go for hundreds of euros.</i>

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We're looking for the grapes' stems.

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(Charlet) Like this?

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(Anselme) Yes. And then, on the soil.

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(Charlet) No? That's sad.

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(Anselme) Yes, it's sad because there's
a full team that worked on it

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for a whole year.

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This is a gift from nature.

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We're insulting nature.

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We're not able to keep what it gives us.

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(Charlet) <i>The quotas mean all producers
are leaving grapes on the ground</i>

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<i>to compost.</i>

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<i>Something that Selosse sees 
as particularly hard for smaller companies</i>

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<i>that can't lose out on revenue.</i>

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So the industry implemented a
quota to try and ease the crisis.

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Do you think that was the right solution?

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It's not a solution.

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It's a way to carry on
while keeping everyone at ease.

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I see it as a race to the bottom.

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Those who make no effort, who don't adapt,

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who see vines as grape-producing machines,

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they are the ones being rewarded.

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So they want the good producers
to waste their high-quality fruits

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so that they can sell
their poor quality fruits.

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That's not how you give
young people a future.

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These three young men
are the future of the region.

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(Charlet) <i>For Selosse, champagne success 
depends on innovation</i>

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<i>from the next generation of winemakers.</i>

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Charlet, would you like
a glass of champagne?

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Okay. (laughter)

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(Charlet) <i>But younger producers
like Alexander Chartogne</i>

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<i>are also the ones
with the most recent investments,</i>

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<i>leaving them the most at risk financially.</i>

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I love it.

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Would you drink this for
an aperitif or with food?

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It depends on your mood.

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It depends on the moment.

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You can drink it
really early in the morning

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or really late in the evening.
(laughter)

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This is really good, though.

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(Charlet) <i>Most champagne makers
are doing fine</i>

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<i>for now.</i>

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<i>But their future depends
on when the pandemic ends.</i>

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<i>And more importantly, 
if sales pick up when it does.</i>

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Of all the industries 
that have been hurt by the pandemic,

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champagne is not necessarily
the most sympathetic one.

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Why should people care
that champagne's been hurt?

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In many countries--
whether it's the English,

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the Americans, the Germans--

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nobody likes French people
but everyone loves France,

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and champagne is the tip of that image.