Champagne Prepares for the Upcoming Harvest

As per each year, Champagne winegrowers and houses met in Epernay, within the Comité Champagne headquarters, to agree on the conditions for this year’s upcoming harvest.

The available yield for 2024 has been set to 10,000kg/ha, a lower level than for the previous harvest (11,400 kg/ha) to reflect shipping markets. Key outtakes include:

• Shipments from Champagne in the first half of 2024 represented 106.7 million bottles. Shipments are back to a level close to that of 2019.
• Since the beginning of the year, the vineyards have been particularly wet. As a result of the lack of sunshine and a start of the vegetative period being marked by coolness, the vineyard is under mildew pressure but remains controlled.
• The weather conditions between now and the harvest will be crucial in determining a good harvest.
• The beginning of the harvest is expected to take place on average around 10/12 September.

Yield
The available yield for 2024 has been set to 10,000 kg/ha, a lower level than for the previous harvest (11,400 kg/ha) to reflect shipping markets. Champagne has always strived to regulate its economy to preserve the economic balance of the sector and ensure its prosperity.

A weak economic context
Shipments from Champagne in the first half of 2024 represented 106.7 million bottles, or -15.2% compared to the same period in 2023, which was a record half-year (excluding 2022). Shipments are back to a level that is close to that of 2019.

“The sluggish global geopolitical and economic situation as well as general inflation are weighing on household consumption. Champagne continues to suffer the consequences of overstocking by distributors in 2021 and 2022. However the people of Champagne remain confident in the value of their appellation,” explained David Chatillon, president of UMC (Champagne houses).

An exceptionally rainy wine campaign
Since the beginning of the year, the vineyard has been particularly wet. As a result of the lack of sunshine and a start of the vegetative period being marked by coolness, the entire vineyard is under strong but controlled mildew pressure. Spring frosts and hail have had a moderate impact on the harvest potential (around 10%). The vines show a slight delay in development of five to six days compared to the ten-year average. The beginning of the harvest is expected to take place on average around 10/12 September.

“After a particularly hot and dry year in 2023, 2024 was exceptionally wet, which complicated the work in the vineyard. The pressure of mildew is strong but it remains generally controlled thanks to a lot of work. The weather conditions between now and the harvest will be crucial in determining a good harvest,” said Maxime Toubart, president of the SGV (winegrowers).