The Buyer | Champagne’s performance lends upbeat air at Pol Roger Portfolio

There's not much to smile about in the wine industry right now as a 'perfect storm' of factors is causing turbulence in many quarters. Not so at the annual Pol Roger Portfolio tasting where the importer's notoriously ebullient chief, James Simpson MW, was delighted by Champagne's upturn. Geoffrey Dean spoke to him about trade, his spread of agencies and why California and Australia are key to Portfolio's offering, picking out five humdingers along the way.