Americans clearly kept the bubbly flowing last year.
Champagne shipments to the United States soared in 2022 as over 33.7 million bottles were exported to the United States, per an April 6 press release from The Champagne Bureau, the U.S. arm of the Comité Champagne trade organization. The United States stands as the largest global market — both by volume and value — for French sparkling wine beyond its country of origin.
Emerging data from the past year was announced in January, but this latest announcement confirms Champagne exports to the U.S. amounted to more than $997.9 million in economic activity. Total international Champagne exports also hit a record-high of $6.6 billion in 2022, as shipment volume increased 1.5 percent over 2021 (325.5 million bottles).
As expected, the confirmed data indicates a full recovery from dipping import levels between the U.S. and the Champagne region during the pandemic. In fact, the volume of exports to the North American country grew 31 percent from those in 2019. The Comité Champagne attributes this jump in consumption to an increased interest in attending parties, office happy hours, and celebratory meals with friends.
“The strength of the U.S. market in 2022 shows that Americans are still eager to consume Champagne,” says Gaëlle Egoroff, Comité Champagne Director of Protection and Appellation Promotion in the release. “In addition, American consumers are increasingly seeking out new moments for Champagne consumption outside of celebrations or special events, contributing to this strong result.”
The Champagne Bureau also shared a 10-year growth plan alongside the confirmation data, stating that Comité Champagne expects to increase its annual budget by 50 percent and invest more resources in education, development, and sustainability.
Bottom Line — The VP Pro Take: The wine industry’s struggles in the U.S. — particularly in gaining traction with younger drinkers — have gained much coverage in recent months. Despite that reality, Champagne and sparkling wine in general are an outlying bright spot — at least where sales are concerned. As with Champagne, the U.S. is also the top export market for Prosecco, with more than 130 million bottles imported into the country last year.
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