This is the highest level set since the 2008 vintage, and comes off the back of continued sales growth of Champagne around the world.
It is in stark contrast to the 2020 vintage, which was set at 8,000kg per hectare, one of the lowest yields set in recent years, following both drought and a vast drop in consumer demand during the pandemic, which saw sales drop by 18%.
In 2021, Champagne experienced one of its most difficult growing seasons for many years, with frost, hail, rain and disease wreaking havoc across the region.
The sales surge continues
The Champagne regional wine council has revealed a 13.8% increase in shipments in the first half of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. Exports were up 16.8%, and France is up 9.3%.
It is believed that the current increasing demand for Champagne will continue for many years to come.
According to the Comité Champagne, the Champagne vineyards are in ‘an excellent sanitary state’ as the region moves towards harvest, which is expected to start in the last 10 days of August.
Equipping Champagne producers for an uncertain future
A new initiative has been announced which aims to help Champagne producers reach the available yield set each year, even when there has been a difficult harvest.
Called the ‘deferred release of the reserve’, the strategy consists of 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.
The credit will be managed by the Comité Champagne and can be used over the next three years as the reserve is replenished.
Yield limits set since 2007:
2007 – 12,400kg/ha
2008 – 12,400kg/ha
2009 – 9,700kg/ha
2010 – 10,500kg/ha
2011 – 10,500kg/ha
2012 – 11,000kg/ha
2013 – 10,000kg/ha
2014 – 10,100kg/ha
2015 – 10,000kg/ha
2016 – 9,700kg/ha
2017 – 10,300kg/ha
2018 – 10,800kg/ha
2019 – 10,200kg/ha
2020 – 8,000kg/ha
2021 – 10,000kg/ha
2022 – 12,000kg/ha
(Source: Comité Champagne)