The sales and exports of champagne would fall this year, pushed by the inflation and the return to a more normal pace after record transactions in the last two years due to the end of the restrictions related to the pandemicthe growers said Wednesday.
Sales are estimated to reach around 314 million bottles by 2023, French industry group Comité Champagne said in a statement. The figure compares with 326 million bottles sold last year.
In the first half of the year, shipments represented 125.8 million bottles, 4.7% less than in the same period of 2022. Exports stood at 77.7 million bottles, a drop of 3.7%, while France registered a decrease of 6.3% with 48.1 million bottles.
“The drop in shipments, for France, is attributed to the inflation”said a spokeswoman for the Champagne Committee.
“For exports, it is difficult to explain it because the comparisons are with 2022, a year in which shipments abroad were very high in the first semester. Rather, we think that after the post-COVID ‘party’, the situation returns to normal”, added.
Champagne producers expect sales to stay around the same level over the next three years, at an average of 315 million bottles, he said.
The 2023 harvest in Champagne is expected to be positive, with little frost and hail damage, contained levels of mold and well formed bunches, but soil water recharge could be a concern.
The harvest is expected to begin in the first 10 days of September.
The Champagne Committee projected a maximum yield of harvestable grapes in the total of 33,700 hectares dedicated to the champagne vine, at 11,400 kilos per hectare, below 12 kilos/ha in 2022.
The production cap is intended to limit the volume of champagne that will be put on the market.
Source: Reuters
Source: Gestion
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