Originally Posted by
ILuvParis
I was talking about buying Champagne from smaller houses in France to bring home. You're not going to find that at CDG or LHR. Further, in my experience, the stuff that is airside at those airports is cheaper at a liquor store in the U.S.
The thing is that most wines that are shipped overseas lose a lot of the quality in the shipment. Few importers are willing to spend the money to guarantee that the wines are shipped correctly. So the bottle that you buy at CDG duty free and hand carry in the pressurized cabin may actually taste a lot better than the bottle you buy at a store in the US. As a global traveler I only drink the local wine from wherever I happen to be.
But I totally agree with you about buying from the smaller houses. As I've said earlier in this thread, I only buy the small batch Champagne or Crémant from Burgundy or Alsace. I pay less than 10 bucks and it is as good as all but the top 1 or 2% of Champagnes. The reason Champagne is expensive is almost entirely due to marketing. The houses that make good Champagne or Crémant, and don't spend on marketing, can sell it for less than 10 bucks a bottle and still make a good living.