Decanter World Wine AwardsChampagne increases yields by 20% to cope with demand
- Tuesday 16 August 2011
The harvest limit has been set at 12,500 kilogrammes per hectare (kg/ha) by the region’s trade body, the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), compared to 10,500 kg/ha in 2010 and 9,700kg/ha in 2009.
Thibaut le Mailloux, communications director for the CIVC, told Decanter.com the increased yield was based on ‘reasonably optimistic’ forecasts that Champagne sales would grow by 2% annually over the coming three years.
‘Most of the Champagne houses have communicated to the press that they wanted 14,000kg/ha but the growers wanted a lot less as they have been harder hit by the crisis,’ said le Mailloux.
Champagne shipments reached 319.5 million bottles in 2010, representing a 9% increase in sales. However, growers that rely more heavily on the domestic market than the major houses, have struggled, witnessing a 3% fall in sales in the past year.
Of the permitted 12,500 kg/ha, 2000kg will be released from the existing wine reserves while 3100kg of fruit will be picked to put into the reserve. This means 13,600kg/ha will be harvested in total.
Have your say!
Champagne
September 12 19:30
Champagne is one of life's wonderful pleasures and one should enjoy it when possible. Whether it is the most expensive champagne or a regular one, there are champagnes for every type of person regardless of the champagne brands.
Ravi
March 11 17:28
Right on Barbara!! A calendar that we could all buy would be fuaolubs!! What a splendid idea for an addition to the Merchantile products! Of course, all of the important dates for the Beekman Boys shows/ events would be pre-printed on it, like the Harvest Weekend dates.My vote on the new drinks name is the Beekman Boyito .perfect!!
Bob Lahner
August 18 13:25
Leave it to the French to have rules and follow them when it's suits their needs. If my calculations are correct the 13,600 kg/ha equates to 6.064 US tons per acre. Only jug wines in the US go that high. RULES we don't need no stinkin'rules.
Michel Smith
August 17 13:46
OK, but what about the quality ? It's fine to raise your yield but only when the vintage is "exceptional". Will 2011 be that exceptional ? Let's wait... and see.