Shipments of Champagne to UK rose by 6.1% last year

Latest figures show that shipments of Champagne to the UK rose by 6.1 per cent last year, back to the levels of 2012.

The UK remains Champagne’s number one export market, a position held almost unbroken since World war 2 and without exception since 1996.

Shipments totalled 32,675,232 bottles in 2014. That’s 71 per cent ahead of nearest rival, the US. Shipments to the US totalled 19,152,709 bottles (up 7.3 per cent on the previous year). Third place went to Germany with shipments of 12,605,297 bottles (up 2 per cent).

The domestic French market recorded a fall of 3 per cent, but remains by a wide margin the largest, representing more than half of all shipments: 162,262,278 of a total 307,132, 540 bottles shipped by Champagne in that year.

Shipments to EU countries other than France totaled 78,015,413. Shipments to emerging markets totaled 66,854,849 bottles, up by 6.3 per cent.

Champagne UK director Françoise Peretti said: ‘We often think of Champagne sales as the barometer of our national economy, and this last year was no exception. When the economic news is better, we drink more Champagne. Of course! There’s more to celebrate.’