Champagne growers have a record year and they also have the Belgians to thank for it

French champagne growers had a record year. They had the highest turnover ever and sold the most bottles in ten years, according to the Champagne Commission. We, the Belgians, are responsible for that.

Favorable climatic conditions, but also corona undoubtedly played a role. We couldn’t do anything, we weren’t allowed to do anything. So every now and then we open a bottle of champagne to calm us down. 2021 was previously expected to be a good year for champagne growers, but the numbers are better than initially thought, it turns out.

The turnover amounted to 5.7 billion euros, the highest level ever. In total, 320 million champagne bottles were sold in 2021; The largest amount in 10 years”, says Jean-Marie Barrillier. He is CEO of the champagne brand Moët & Chandon and Chairman of the Board of Directors of United Champagne Houses in France.

In France itself, 140 million bottles of bubbles were sold last year, the same as before the Corona crisis. Exports in particular have risen sharply.

Europe did well, as did the United States, Australia, and Canada. Only in Asia drank fewer bubbles.

After the United States, Great Britain (29 million bottles), Germany (15 million) and Australia 12 million are the largest buyers. And we? Outside of the French themselves, the Belgians are the biggest consumers of champagne, measured per capita.”