FINAL WORD ON Y2K CHAMPAGNE SHORTAGE

FINAL WORD ON Y2K CHAMPAGNE SHORTAGE

NEW YORK (Wireless Flash) -- Here's the final word on your New Year's Eve champagne stock -- if you haven't already bought some you're going to be paying plenty for that bottle of bubbly. According to the Champagne Wines Information Bureau, retailers are hiking up prices on even the run-of-the-mill champagnes by at least 10 percent. As for the very good stuff, you can expect to spend 50 percent more than usual for a bottle of a champagne like Dom Perignon. The bureau says your best bet is to buy last-minute bubbly at a warehouse store where there may not be such a high markup.