Champagne by any other name
Listen to the futures and select which future you think is preferable and which is probable
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Future #1: Champagne by any other name: Commodity
The exhibit before you is the scent of champagne created by perfume house Demeter. The champagne region in France has grown grapes for over 60 million years according to a fossilised vine leaf dating back to the Palaeocene epoch. However during the 2020’s heatwaves started to see changes take place in the growth and development of the grapes authorised to be used in the creation of Champagne.
Initially the warming climate provided a boon for champagne makers as grapes ripened earlier allowing for more harvest time, a sweeter taste and higher alcohol content and the lack of rain reduced mildew. However on June 27, 2026 a devastating wildfire broke out in the region. The world watched in horror as over 5 weeks 90% of the vineyards in the region were razed to the ground.
Having decimated production, debate raged on whether the National Wine Authority (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine) would redefine the grapes that could grow in the region. They held firm, and a race to buy the remaining ‘true champagne’ bottles gripped the world. In 2027 a new commodity index was created to track the rise and fall of champagne prices and many were bought by hedge funds and venture capitalists. The scent of champagne seen here was created in 2027 as part of a range of extinct scents.
Future #2: Champagne by any other name: Coalition
The exhibit before you is the scent of champagne created by perfume house Demeter to celebrate the new champagne definition. The champagne region in France was the only place in the world where champagne was grown. On June 27, 2026 a devastating wildfire broke out in the region and the world watched in horror as over 5 weeks 90% of the vineyards in the region were razed to the ground.
Having decimated production, debate raged on what the National Wine Authority (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine) would do and in a move that shocked many in the wine authority opened up the definition of champagne. Now any wine that used the seven grape types and was made using méthode traditionalle, could be called champagne.
New champagne growing regions popped up around the world where the climate was more favourable and master vintners lent their expertise to fledgling wineries. In 2028 the National Wine Authority announced a new naming system. All wines would be labelled with two names, the origin of the grapes and their growing location. This year was also the year the first phénix wine came to market. A wine grown in the champagne region but using a different blend of grapes - like a phoenix rising from the ashes.