Champagne shipments hit by gloomy consumer mood.

19/1/2025 17:37

French champagne shipments fell by nearly 10% last year as economic and political uncertainties hit consumers' appetite for the sparkling wine in key markets such as France and the United States, the producers association said.



Producers had called in July for a cut in the number of grapes harvested this year after sales fell more than 15% in the first half of 2024. Full year shipments were down 9.2% from 2023 at 271.4 million bottles, the Comite Champagne (Champagne Committee) said.



"Champagne is a real barometer of the state of mind of consumers," Maxime Toubart, president of the Syndicat General des Vignerons and co-president of the committee, said in a statement late on Saturday.



"It is not time to celebrate given inflation, conflicts across the world, economic uncertainties and political wait-and-see in some of the largest Champagne markets, such as France and the United States."



The French market made up 118.2 million bottles, down 7.2% compared to 2023, which the association put down to prevailing economic and political "gloom" in the country.