Photo by Laura Widness.

The Champagne Bureau, USA, announced that “2022 should be a very good year for shipments.” Grapes harvested this year will produce the bottles of Champagne that will be on consumers’ tables in several years. Champagne growers and houses decided together to set an available yield of 12,000 kg/ha for the 2022 harvest. This is the highest level in 15 years. In 2020, the pandemic had an impact on sales, which fell by 18%. In 2021, while sales rebounded, the harvest was cut in half by frost, mildew and hail. Champagne shipments in the first half of 2022 are close to 130 million bottles, up 13.8% compared to the same period in 2021. Exports, with 79.6 million bottles, are up 16.8%, while France is up 9.3% with 50.3 million bottles. The bureau reported to date that losses due to spring frosts and hailstorms are estimated at less than 9% of the harvest potential, which is expected to start in the last 10 days of August.