Champagne might be facing some future challenges, but in the here-and-now it still captures our dreams.

Looking at year-on-year search data, it's clear that Champagne's hold on the wine-loving public's imagination is showing no sign of easing. A snapshot of searches taken this month shows searches for sparkling wine rose 18 percent compared to the same point in 2021. Champagne makes up around 75 percent of all sparkling wines searches, so the Champenoise can feel confident they are making an impression.

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To put those search numbers into perspective, sparkling searches were ahead of all the wine-style categories (red, white, sparkling, rosé, dessert and fortified wines) and were only surpassed by searches for the grape variety Pinot Noir, searches for which rose by 25 percent. That said, Pinot is, of course, one of Champagne's constituents, anyway.

But it isn't all sweetness and light for Champagne. The past few years have seen fluctuating fortunes for the region, with environmental issues, reduced yields and changes to the appellation's rules all impacting both growers and the Champagne houses. It culminated in a squeeze on Champagne supplies just in time for its most crucial sales period.

Supply issues aside, however, there have been other factors at play for Champagne producers. Covid offered the worst economic hit since World War II, according to the Champagne authorities, as markets shut down and retailers and restaurants did likewise. There have also been issues around climate and the environmental impacts of the region's relatively intensive viticultural methods.

But there have also been some exquisite vintages of late, something that has caught the imagination of wine lovers. This, in turn, has clearly fueled the uptick in interest in the wines – we are in something of a golden age for Champagne, after all, at least when it comes to quality.

So let's look at what people are searching for.

The World's Most Wanted Champagnes on Wine-Searcher:

Dom Pérignon Brut 94 $260

Louis Roederer Cristal Millésime Brut 95 $327

Krug Vintage Brut 96 $497

Salon Cuvée S Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut 96 $1419

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 94 $220

Dom Pérignon Rosé 94 $428

Dom Pérignon P2 Plénitude Brut 95 $478

Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Rosé Millésime 96 $630

Jacques Selosse Millésime 95 $2566

Bollinger La Grande Année Brut 94 $162

Comparing the list with last year's version reveals a curious division and suggests that interest in Champagne is not just growing but also changing.

While the top half of the list is identical to last year's top five, the bottom half is a more volatile place. Last year, the list had two new entries from its previous incarnation, while this year there are three. It's a small change, perhaps, but a reasonably significant one. Gone are the Bollinger RD, Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage and Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, replaced by Dom Pérignon's P2, Cristal Brut and the Selosse.

It's significant because the new entrants are more highly rated than their predecessors, indicating increased interest in higher-level wines. That would align with the growth in global sales of prestige cuvées in the past few years, at the expense of less-expensive house styles.

And, speaking of expense, it's probably relevant to mention prices in passing – they have skyrocketed in the past year. The average increase in the global average price for each wine on the list over the past year has risen by 41.2 percent, driven mostly by a massive blowout in the price of the Jacques Selosse wine, which has tripled in price since March last year. It rose from a global average price of $848 per bottle to today's $2566.

It isn't the only one to show steep price growth. The Salon has gone from $850 last year to $1419 today, a rise of 53 percent; Krug Vintage went from $335 to $497, a rise of 48 percent. The lowest level of growth was somewhat surprising – the Cristal Rosé, which rose by just 8 percent in average price over the year.

With price growth like that, Champagne – or at least its top echelon – might have to remain a dream for many of us for a while yet.

To view on Wine-Searcher, please click here.