> March 2008

Steve Charters spent two weeks working in Australia at the end of January. During this time:
1. He made presentations on champagne and the structure and development of the champagne industry to students of the Institute of Masters of Wine at their annual seminar in Melbourne, and to academics at Edith Cowan University in Perth.
2. He was able to develop joint research with academics at Edith Cowan University focusing on the management expertise of smaller wine producers in Champagne and in Australia. This research should result in a continuing stream of publications in the next few years.

In the middle of February Steve Charters presented a pair of sessions on the consumer behaviour of wine to students on the Vintage Masters Programme run co-ordinated by the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce Angers.

The 26th February saw a visit of 9 French, German and American journalists to Champagne, for an information day organised by the Chair of Champagne Management entitled ‘What is the future for champagne?’ After an introduction to the Chair at RMS, the visitors were welcomed at Champagne Laurent-Perrier, one of the partners of the Chair, with a detailed presentation on the business of managing a champagne house by the President du Directoire, M. Yves Dumont. This was then complemented by a discussion with M. Jean-Mary Tarlant, a vigneron at Champagne Tarlant, offering the perspective of the smaller producer on the future of champagne.