French champagne sales fell back to pre-crisis levels last year after a strong increase following the slump during the corona pandemic. Sales fell by 8.2 percent to 299 million bottles in 2023 compared to the previous year, the manufacturers’ association Comité Champagne announced on Monday. In 2022, 325 million bottles were sold; in 2019 before Corona, sales were 297.3 million bottles. The decline in 2023 can partly be explained by the fact that dealers purchased higher quantities than usual in 2022 for fear of delivery difficulties, the association explained.
Exports became more important, with their share of sales rising from 45 to 57 percent within ten years. 172 million bottles went abroad last year and 127 million bottles were sold domestically. Inflation was causing business problems there in particular, the association reported.
However, the trading volume in 2023 remained at over six billion euros, as in the previous year, as higher-quality champagne was sold, particularly in exports. The association has not yet been able to provide a breakdown by country. In 2022, 12.2 million bottles of the fine sparkling wine were exported to Germany.
Champagne can only be grown in certain areas of France. The approximately 34,000 hectares of cultivated area are located in Champagne, northeast of Paris. The processing of the grapes is strictly regulated. For example, they may only be harvested by hand.
