Champagne sales grew by more than 30% in 2021, with more people consuming Champagne at home due to the Covid pandemic.
More Champagne is being drunk again – this is how one could summarise the view of Comité Champagne, which is based in Épernay. After lockdowns around the globe prompted by the Covid pandemic saw Champagne sales fall in 2020, the market recovered in 2021. It is believed that people are increasingly drinking Champagne at home, according to the industry association.
322 million bottles of champagne were sold last year, an increase of 32% compared to 2020. The market in France itself was able to increase by 25% and returned to 2019 levels with 142 million bottles. Exports, meanwhile, are growing steadily and reached a new high of 180 million bottles. Maxime Toubart, president of the Syndicat Général des Vignerons and co-president of Comité Champagne, describes the latest figures as a "positive surprise".
Jean-Marie Barillère, the president of the Union des Maisons de Champagne und co-president of Comité Champagne, is pleased that "Champagne will achieve record sales of more than €5.5 billion (provisional figure) thanks to exports and consumer preference for fine cuvées".
The overall uncertainty caused by the pandemic led to a reduction in stocks in 2020. In 2021, this development was reversed, as the wine industry was almost surprised by an increase in demand from April onwards. Logistics and transport difficulties were also an issue for the industry. Despite the ongoing Covid crisis and challenging climatic conditions in 2021, Champagne growers and their industry representatives are hoping for further growth in 2022.
