Champagne experiences absolute record year

Never before did consumers buy as much champagne as they did in 2015 according to the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne. Particularly its non-European sales grew a lot more.

4.75 billion euro

Champagne sales reached a record global 4.75 billion euro turnover, up 5.6 % compared to 2014. That translates into 312.5 million bottles, up 1.7 % compared to the year before. Volume-wise, that is not the biggest year ever as champagne sales in 2007 were even bigger (339 million bottles).

Export (+4 %) helped the industry grow the most, as French sales stabilized at 162 million bottles. The champagne houses and farmers exported 80.2 million bottles to the rest of the European Union (+ 3.3 %), with Great Britain, Germany and Belgium as the three largest areas. Another 70.5 million bottles were shipped to the rest of the world (+ 4.8 %).

The more expensive and special types of champagne (rosé, millésime, …) sold best with non-European consumers, while December was (and is traditionally) the best-selling month with more than 42 million bottles.

Backed by these excellent results, the French export of alcoholic beverages (including non-sparkling wines and brandies) is back at record heights, following 2 weaker years: France exported 11.7 billion euros worth of wines of other alcoholic beverages, an 8.7 % increase compared to 2014.