The region of Champagne has capped yields for its impending harvest at a slightly lower level than last year, as sales of the French fizz fall by almost 4% in the first half of 2023.
According to the Comité Champagne, which regulates the supply of grapes in the appellation, the number of berries that can be harvested for making into fizz from this year’s harvest is to be limited to 11,400kg/ha, which is roughly equivalent to almost 326 million bottles. This is a drop of 5% on 2022, when yields were capped at 12,000kg/ha, producing around 343m bottles, which was more than the shipments in that year, which hit 326m bottles – the third highest total in Champagne’s history, representing a rise of almost 14% on 2021. Indeed, the yield for this year’s harvest – which was agreed upon yesterday – brings Champagne in line with shipments in 2022. Nevertheless, the production is higher than the expected quantity for 2023, with total shipments for this year forecast to reach around 314m bottles, according to the Comité Champagne, which represents a decline of 3.7%. However, the decrease in Champagne shipments for the first six months of 2023 is a touch greater than the year-end forecast. In a statement sent to the drinks business yesterday, the regional trade organisation recorded that Champagne shipments in the first half of 2023 were 125.8 million bottles, which was a decrease of 4.7% compared to the same period in 2022. The fall-off was greatest in
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Champagne