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Winery in Champagne (Le Breuil, July 2021)
Photo: STAFF / REUTERS
The champagne manufacturers in France are already toasting a record year: They expect sales of 315 million bottles and a turnover of more than 5.5 billion euros in 2021, said Jean-Marie Barillère, the industry association's vice-president.
The previous record was five billion euros in sales in 2019, even before the corona pandemic.
The harvest of the champagne grapes this year was not very record-breaking: Frosts in spring and a rainy summer made for a bad harvest.
But the cellars of the winemakers are full.
Champagne has to mature for more than a year.
The high demand in English-speaking countries was responsible for the record sales, as Barillère said.
Then there are the new "habits" in the pandemic: "Everything that offers entertainment at home is in demand, including champagne."
In fact, people apparently use the bottle more often when contact restrictions are imposed or the catering trade is closed due to the pandemic.
This is not only indicated by surveys, but also by German tax statistics: In 2020, income from the sparkling wine tax and the sparkling wine tax increased significantly.
It seems that Germans not only drink more at home, but also drinks with a higher alcohol content.
Because the demand for beer has decreased in Germany at least last year.
fdi / AFP
