If you’re a fan of bubbly and in particular Champagne, statistics suggest that there are many like you! It’s no wonder 326 million bottles of sparkling wine were shipped last year with the sales expected to be in tangent or further elevated this time. The numbers released by Comité Champagne showed a year-end total of 326 million bottles – the highest annual figure in 15 years and the third greatest since the pre-Millennium surge in 1999. The stats also represented a rise of almost 2% in 2021 and “proved the dynamism of the Champagne market”, while expressing “cautious optimism for 2023”.
However, while positive, the figures are lower than the expected outcome for 2022. This could be since the shipments in 2022 were restricted by supply, with shortages resulting from growing demand during a time of reduced output from the region. Commenting that the results will be different this year, Comité Champagne in a statement said, “The sunny 2022 harvest, which was remarkable both for its quantity and quality, is going to play a role in rebuilding stocks to meet market demand.”
Remarking further, David Chatillon, president of the Union des Maisons de Champagne and co-president of the Comité Champagne noted, “Champagne, as the supreme wine of celebrations, has been the natural choice of the world’s consumers as they rejoiced at the end of lockdowns and rediscovered a taste for parties, for going out and for traveling.”
