Champagne shipments on the up as harvest approaches

By James Bayley

Published: 22 July, 2022

Following a review with growers and houses in the region, Comité Champagne has announced a 13.8% uplift in shipments in the first half of 2022, the equivalent of 130 million bottles.

Exports are also up compared to the first half of 2021, with a 16.8% increase, while French shipments are up by 9.3% or 50.3 million bottles.

The Comité believes this increase in demand will be sustained for years to come due to the good sanitary condition of the vineyards – losses due to spring frosts and hailstorms are estimated at less than 9% of the harvest potential.

As a result, Champagne growers and houses have decided to set an available yield of 12,000 kg/ha for the 2022 harvest – the highest level in 15 years (since 2007).

READ MORE: 'Champagne Charlie' returns after 37 years

Meanwhile, after a difficult few years for the sector, the Comité has announced it will implement a new strategy to safeguard against factors outside the vineyards' control.

The 'Champagne reserve' will be made up of wines from previous years to compensate for difficult harvests.

This principle includes generating a "deferred release reserve credit" for a grower when the quantities harvested and the reserve prove insufficient to reach the available yield set for the year. This credit, managed by the Comité, can be used over the next three years as the reserve replenishes. The objective is to provide the means to reach the available yield set by the Comité each year to ensure market balance.

The 2022 harvest is expected to start early, in the last ten days of August. For more information visit https://www.champagne.fr/fr/accueil.

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