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The harvest yields in Champagne have been set at 10,000 kilograms per hectare by the industry association Comité Champagne. This is around twelve per cent less than in 2023 and 17 per cent less than in 2022. With this harvest volume, around 286 million bottles can be produced - 13 million less than in 2023. This takes into account the unfavourable market environment. In the first half of 2024, 106.7 million bottles were delivered, which corresponds to a decline of around 15 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.
After a boom in 2021 and 2022, sales are now back at the level of 2019. In order to meet the high demand, the permitted yields in 2022 were set at 12,000 kilograms per hectare, compared to just 8,000 in the coronavirus year of 2020. Yields above the permitted quantity for the vintage go into the reserve, which producers are allowed to set aside for years when grapes are in short supply.
Due to the exceptional weather conditions, the 2024 harvest volume will be somewhat lower anyway. Frost and hail have already reduced the yield potential by around ten per cent. The heavy rainfall also leads to strong mildew pressure and further, albeit smaller, losses. The growth of the vines is delayed by five to six days compared to the ten-year average. The harvest is expected to start around 10 September.
(al / source: harpers.co)